A Flood of Sunshine
by Empty Spirit
Summary: Kagome suffers a terrible trauma during Freshman year, and it’s been slowly eating her away, inside and out, a problem that wasn’t even her fault! Can anyone get her out of this all-time-low before something really bad happens? Sess-Kag Inu-Kag?
1. Bring on The Pain

**Author's Note**: Hey there! My first fic, I hope you all like it. I kept it short, just in case it turned out to be a total bust… anyway, thanks in advance for reading & reviewing!

_Thoughts_ "Talking"

**Summary**: Kagome suffers a terrible trauma, and it's been slowly eating her away, inside and out, a problem that wasn't even her fault! Can anyone get her out of this all-time-low before something really bad happens? Sess-Kag/ Inu-Kag??

**::Bring on the Pain::**

Kagome walked through the hallways of her school, alone, as always, hugging her folder tightly to her chesty as if it might offer her some sort of protection from the cruel, mocking outside world. She stared at the ground as if it might offer her a solution, an answer to end her suffering. She swiftly walked through the halls, not once lifting her eyes from the dusty tiles of the cold hallway, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. Suddenly, purposely, someone stuck a foot out to trip her. She threw her hands out in front of her, releasing her folder in the process, when she felt two strong arms grab her, about waist-high, and she clutched the figure's sleeves before she hit the ground.

For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to look into the eyes of a fellow classmate, and it would seem, that in that instant, time had stopped. She gazed into the most amazing set of golden eyes, and marveled at his silver locks surrounding his head as if it were some sort of halo of an angel come to rescue her from this hell she called her life. "Are you…" he started, looking concerned.

"Heh…" was the sound of someone's nervous laugh. "Uh… Inuyasha… what are you doing? Helping that trash…?" came the same male voice a few feet away.

He glanced over at the brown haired boy who'd made the comment, then back at Kagome, looking helpless in his arms. And then, suddenly, instantly, her angel turned into a demon, like all the others. His expression suddenly matched all of their cruel, mocking ones. "Are you…crazy? Get your hands offa me you ugly bitch!" he yelled, loud enough for everyone in the hallways to hear, and then forcefully released her, sending her crashing down to the ground, next to her folder. She hastily reached over to pick it up, as tears came to her eyes, blurring her vision. Her head started to throb, from listening to the cruel laughter, comments, and threats.

Just as her fingers grazed the hard plastic cover of her folder, a foot connected with the side of it, hitting her right hand in the process. She clutched her hand to her chest, as her tears threatened to flow down her face. She looked into the eyes of her ex-boyfriend, one of the major causes of both her physical, and emotional pain. "Koga… why?" she whispered so quietly, very few even heard it. However to anyone who stood in the circle surrounding the fallen, innocent girl, they would have thought she was referring to her folder, or perhaps their tragic break up. However there were very few who knew the real question.

The question had taken Koga by surprise. It was easier to pick on her, to hate her, to lie if he wasn't forced to look into those eyes of hers. Eyes that used to be a brilliant blue filled with purity, hope, and love, but were now gray with shame, humiliation, and sadness. A sadness that he himself had brought upon her. Koga forcefully tore his gaze from Kagome's. "Why?" he repeated. "I think you know the answer to that," he said cruelly, refusing to look into her eyes again. It was an answer that he himself was not ready to supply. One question he didn't know the real answer to.

With that, he spun on his heel and began to walk away. "Let's get outta here before a teacher comes along and we get in trouble," he said to the crowd that had formed, and with that, they all disappeared, except for one girl who remained behind. But Kagome didn't notice. She was frantically picking up the scattered papers that had flown from her folder when Koga kicked it.

The girl crouched down next to her and placed her hand gently on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome jumped, thinking someone was about to hit her again. "You know the only reason they pick on you is because you don't bother to fight back," she said, and began to pick up Kagome's papers. "You just sit there and cry like a pathetic little six-year-old. Hell if I didn't have more class, I'd be right along there with them, laughing at you," she said.

Kagome didn't know what to make of this girl. She was helping her pick up her papers, and yet she was insulting her. "I…" she began, but changed her mind just as she started to speak.

"What?" she said, raising her eyebrow as if prompting her to speak. Kagome shook her head. "Whatever. Listen, I wanted to talk to you real quick," she said rudely.

"Oh…" Kagome said, and glanced into her eyes, then quickly looked away, as if she were being reminded not to look at anyone.

"Why do you let them push you around like that? If I were you, there'd be a couple of footprints on somebody's ass by now," she said, standing up and pulling Kagome up along with her.

That comment almost made Kagome want to smile. Almost. "I… well um… thanks for your help," she held out her hand to shake, some of her confidence visibly returning with the semi- kind words and actions of a fellow classmate. "My name's Kagome. What's yours?" she asked kindly.

"I'm quite aware of who you are. I'm not here to get to know you. I came to ask you a question. Are you still in love with Koga?" she asked bitterly.

"In… love…? I …" she stammered. In love? With Koga? The guy who ruined her? She wasn't so sure anymore. She used to love him, at the very least.

The girl purposely dropped one of Kagome's pencils on the ground, making it look like an accident. "Oops," she said, and made no move to pick it up, as it was closer to Kagome. Kagome bent to pick it up, instinctively reaching forward with her right hand, when the girl stepped forward and crushed her fingers under her shoe.

"Ah!" Kagome cried out in pain. "Please…" she whimpered.

"Listen whore. I'm not here because I like you, or because I feel sorry for you. I'm here to deliver to you a warning. Stay away from Koga, stay away from him or anyone else around him, or else you will find yourself in a situation _much_ more painful. Got it?" she said, putting more weight on Kagome's hand for emphasis.

"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. The girl saw this and abruptly turned on her heel and walked away.

_I lied. I do feel sorry for her. But I want her away from Koga, and I want Koga away from her. To forget about her, and now._ She swung open the door to her history class, and strode in. "Miss Naguru. You're late," the teacher said, glaring at her.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I had something I had to do," she said, bowing.

"Get to your seat," he said, sighing, and turned back to the board. She glanced about the room, looking for a seat, noticing open ones by Inuyasha…_No, _that freak who kept asking her out, Miroku or something or other…_as if!!_ And one next to Koga. _Yes._

She smirked and went to sit next to Koga. He glanced at her curiously. "Hey Sango," he said, and she offered a quick smile and turned to take out her supplies.

"Now that the lecture for today is completed, I would like you all to direct your attention to the television screen, where you will be watching a video on major events in the Meiji Revolution. Pay close attention, I may quiz you on this at any time," the teacher announced, as he went to the shelf to find the proper video.

Sango leaned over towards Koga's seat and whispered, "Hey can I borrow your notes from today's lecture?"

"Sure," he said, handing over his notes. Sango glanced at them and fought the urge to groan. Not very much written, and hardly legible to the untrained eye. "So what took ya?" he asked, obviously referring to the fact that she had shown up late.

She was spared from giving a proper response when a soft knock came at the door. The teacher set the video he had just found on his desk, then made his way to the entrance. He sighed, opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Kagome to pass him.

"Business, Koga. _Business_," Sango whispered, earning a strange look from Koga.

"Miss Higurashi, would you care to explain why _you're_ late?" he asked impatiently.

She bowed low. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," she said quietly.

He sighed. "Whatever… just take a seat. We're about to watch a video now," he said, exasperatedly.

She hurriedly chose the one closest to her, next to Inuyasha. He just looked at her, and said nothing. He was curious about her, to say the very least. _That face. I swear I've seen it on someone else. She looks so much like someone else, but I just can't figure out who…_

About five minutes into the film, Kagome was aware of someone's gaze on her face, but she neither turned nor spoke. She didn't want to get hit, or made fun of again, so she did her best to ignore it, no matter how much it bothered her. She thought of Inuyasha, and his eyes. Those amber eyes that had transformed from caring to malicious and detached in an instant less than thirty minutes before, but still beautiful, nonetheless. But she stopped that thought at just that place. It was things like that which got her into trouble. So she forgot about Inuyasha and focused on the film.

Ten minutes later, with the end of class near, the film ended, and the lights were switched back on. The teacher began handing out papers and just as Kagome received hers, she knocked her pencil off her desk. She reached for it with her injured hand at the same time Inuyasha did, and for a moment, his hand rested on top of hers. She winced both in pain and at the contact and hastily yanked her hand away. "Sorry," she murmured.

He held out her pencil for her. "Don't worry about it," he said, handing her the pencil. She took it in her left hand and apologized again, shoving it into her pocket.

"Class, as you can see on your papers, we will be having a series of group projects. All will be completed with the same group over the next two months," he began. The class started whispering to each other, and he held up a hand to silence them. "Groups, of course will be assigned." An audible groan was heard throughout the class. "Time will not be given in class to complete these assignments, so you must find time outside of school to work on them, perhaps at each other's houses. I will begin assigning groups tomorrow…" Kagome tuned out from there.

Two words were stuck in Kagome's mind. _Group projects_. Group projects meant working… in a group… with her classmates… who, for the time being, hated her guts. Which meant she's probably be stuck with all of the work, and then beaten if her group didn't like the final grade they received. _Please… there has got to be another way. Anything but this…maybe, if I ask, I can work alone…_

"…There will be no choice in groups, there will be no changing groups, there will be no solitary work, so don't bother to ask. These are _group projects_ and are worth a fair chunk of your final grade. We will go into more detail tomorrow," he said, just as the bell rang. Students shuffled to gather their things and leave the class.

Kagome, however, was frozen in her seat. _Group projects…_ she could only imagine the cuts and bruises that were soon to come…

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Okay, first fic. Like? No Like? Please review, makes me feel much better, and makes me want to write more! Well thanks for reading this, at the very least, and feel free to leave any questions/ comments/ concerns with the story you may have. Thanks again, and I hope to see you soon!


	2. Why Me?

Disclaimer: You gotta be kiddin me…if I was in fact Rumiko Takahashi and I did in fact own Inuyasha, would I REALLY be writing here, and now? Right…

Anyway, today's episode, err… chapter, is a bit longer. It'll probably continue to be that way as I keep working on the story. So read and review, and I'll come out with these way faster, I promise!

Well, I think I'm pretty much done here… on with the story!

**::Why me?::**

Kagome dragged herself out of bed that morning, only to realize she was running late. Not like it mattered anyway. She didn't need much time to get ready. She donned her wrinkled school uniform and headed downstairs. On her way out, she passed by the table and her mom saw her just before she reached the door.

"Kagome, come join us for breakfast. You have time, don't you?" she asked.

"No breakfast for me today, mom. I'm not very hungry; may I just have some tea? I don't really have the time today, I'm running late," she said, sitting down at the table.

Her mother set a small cup of tea in front of her. "Kagome, why don't you eat anything? You've hardly eaten for the past few weeks. You're so pale, and your losing weight. What's going on, Kagome?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm not losing weight, mom. Nothing's going on," she said, and smiled at her in an effort to convince her.

"Well then can't you at least do something with your make up? Or your hair? It looks like you haven't combed it in days," she said, reaching over to touch Kagome's tangled locks, but Kagome recoiled with such speed her mom almost jumped. "Kagome?"

She pushed her chair back from the table and took her cup over to the sink. "Sorry, mom, but I've got to be on my way. I'm meeting up with a friend. I'll do my hair at her house. Don't worry about it; it's on the way. There's nothing wrong, I swear," she said, smiling once more and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She hurriedly made her way to the door, and was halfway out when her mom called out to her again.

"What friend is that dear? I didn't catch her name?" her mom asked. Kagome shut the door and pretended not to hear. _What friend? Hah. Yeah right._ Kagome wiped a bit of moisture from her cheek. _Great. I'm already crying and school hasn't even started yet. That'll give 'em something to laugh about._

Kagome stopped doing her routine things, probably a few days after the incident. She stopped eating as much as she used to, she stopped worrying about her physical appearance, except when she passed by a mirror to notice how ridiculous she really did look. _Maybe, if I were prettier, or if I were thinner, then Koga…_ she shook that thought from her head, as she arrived at school.

Kagome came early to school every morning, in order to avoid the late crowds in the front of the school. She apparently wasn't very fortunate with crowds, as of late. She headed straight for the music room. The teacher never minded when she used the piano, and so she used it as a chance to relax. She had taken lessons as a young child, but now she pretty much just taught herself.

Two first year girls walked down the hall and were drawn to the music room door as they heard a piano playing.

"It's so pretty," a girl with long brown hair and freckles said.

"I know, but it sounds so sad… hey you wanna go see who's playing?" the other girl with dark hair and glasses asked.

Sango happened to be passing by at the time, and was also curious as to see who was playing, so she followed the two other girls to the doorway, unknown to them. "Hey, she looks… kinda familiar," Freckles said, looking at Kagome's profile. "Is she… crying…?"

"No way," Glasses said. "She's just concentrating on the keys… hey you're right… she does look familiar… That girl always looks like she's ready to cry. I think she's the one who…"

"The school slut," Sango finished for her. The two girls jumped, as they hadn't even noticed her creeping up behind them. "Kagome Higurashi."

"But she doesn't look like…" Freckles started.

"You probably should do your best not to be seen around her. You wouldn't want to ruin your reputation so soon," Sango warned, and gave what they thought was a warm smile.

"Oh, okay Miss Sango," Freckles said. Sango smirked and looked toward Kagome once more. _I must be getting pretty popular. Even the first years know who I am, and call me 'Miss Sango'. Has a nice ring to it, I think. But first, I have more important things to worry about._ Freckles took that as a sign that her and her friend were dismissed. "Okay, bye Miss Sango. We'll see you around, okay?" she said, tugging on her friend's arm. It was more of a request than a good-bye.

She looked down and smiled warmly. "Of course," she said. And with that, the two girls left. _Hear that Kagome? **Miss** Sango. I have something you'll never have again. Respect. But that's not all I want. I'll destroy you._ With that, she spun on her heel and left.

The door shut behind her, and suddenly Kagome felt extremely uncomfortable, and stopped playing, and looked around the room. Nothing. Soon after, the bell rang, and she was reluctantly on her way to class. The day passed by pretty much uneventful. No big scenes in the hallway, like before, but of course the usual teasing and taunting, and a few paper balls stuck in her hair, but she pulled them out before she reached class. She was relatively calm, as calm as one can be while paper balls are thrown at their heads, that is, until History class. The class she had been dreading most since yesterday. _Group projects_.

She sank into her seat a few minutes before the bell would ring and stared at her desk, trying to ignore everyone, however she could not help but hear their snide remarks. _I hope I don't get Kagome in my group…I feel sorry for whoever gets her… does that girl **ever** comb her hair? She looks terrible…_ Finally the bell rang, and the class quieted down. Kagome listened attentatively to the groups, silently praying that her name wouldn't even be called, and she would be 'forced' to work alone. However, today was just not her day. _Of course not_.

"And so that leaves two more groups… let's see…" he said, consulting his paper once more. "Mr. Wolff, Miss Naguru, and…" he trailed off. Sango smirked at the fact that she and Koga were working together. _Now's my chance,_ she thought. "And… Miss Higurashi," he said. **_NO!_** Sango screamed in her head.

Kagome almost had a heart attack. "Oh, my mistake. I meant Mr. Wolff, Miss Naguru, and Mr. _Arashi_," he corrected. "Will one of you please come to the front and pick up your assignment?" Kagome and Sango both sighed in relief mentally, as Kagome glanced at Arashi and noticed that he was one of the students that were in the crowd torturing her the day before. She winced as she remembered all the bad things he'd done to her. More than most, however much less than some.

Kagome's relief was, however, short-lived. "And the final group would be Mr. Taisho, Mr. Houshi, and Miss Higurashi," he said. Some students started to laugh.

"Hah!" Arashi called out. "Sucks to be you Inuyasha. I wonder if you'll ever get the smell out of your clothes from being too close for too long!" he laughed. It wasn't really very funny. Everyone knew Kagome didn't really smell. She simply looked atrocious. But they laughed anyway, out of fear that if they didn't, they too would be ostracized at the hands of their classmates.

"Now, now, calm down class. Kagome, come to the front and pick up the assignment," he said. _Why me?_ Kagome stood and slowly made her way to the front of the classroom. Not without her share of rude comments, laughs, paper balls, and even a few pencils. A few people tried to trip her on her way there and back, and she did stumble a few times.

She sat down and read the top sheet of the packet of papers he had given her. _Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a Machiavellian Prince: This Assignment will require you to work with your group to understand both the Perfect Machiavellian Prince, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. You will be expected to be able to prove how he is or is not a 'perfect prince'. This will be typed, minimum 15 pages, single-spaced. Due dates will be announced and further details will be discussed in this packet._

"Now everyone get in your groups please, I will give you until the end of class to discuss the project. After that, you're all on your own. There will be no time given in class, and I'll check to make sure you're getting work done. I suggest you all begin today. That is all," he said, and with that, he headed to his desk. Kagome made a move to plead to work alone, but was interrupted when Miroku and Inuyasha gathered around her desk, looking at her expectantly.

They just stared at each other for about one full minute. "Uhh… what are you doing?" Kagome finally asked quietly.

"Aren't you going to tell us what the assignment is, so we can start working things out?" Miroku asked.

"You actually want to work with me?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"It's kind of assigned, unless you got a problem with it," Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"It's okay. I don't mind doing the work on my own," Kagome said. They just looked at her. "You guys can just put your names on it at the end," she suggested.

"What? You think we're too stupid to do this assignment right?" Inuyasha hissed.

"No, that's not it… it's just…" she trailed off.

"Well I ain't about to let some _girl_ do _my work_. Right Houshi?" Inuyasha said. Miroku merely nodded.

"Oh…" Kagome said.

"So where do you guys want to meet after school today?" Miroku asked.

"How about in the library?" Kagome suggested quietly.

"No way. We'll never get any work done in there. Everyone else will be going there," Inuyasha immediately shot down Kagome's idea.

"How about your house, Inuyasha? It's pretty big," Miroku suggested.

"So's yours Houshi! Why don't you volunteer your own house?" Inuyasha spat.

"But yours is so much better. Besides, I don't know how… female friendly my room would be…" Miroku said, and winked at Kagome, causing her to blush. Sango saw this and fumed. She didn't want _any guy_ near Kagome.

"Sango, what's wrong?" Koga asked.

"What? Oh, it's nothing. I just suddenly felt sick to my stomach…" she said, half- truthfully.

"So then Inuyasha's house it is!" Miroku exclaimed.

"Only because you're such a pervert and a slob. Clean up so next time we go to your house," Inuyasha suggested to Miroku.

So a few hours later, Kagome was on her way to Inuyasha's house, afraid of what might happen, but more afraid of what probably _would_ happen were she _not_ to show up. Suddenly, she started to have doubts. _What if these are the wrong directions? What if this is a setup? What if…_ Suddenly, she was terrified, and longed for the comfort of her warm bed. Her footsteps slowed to a stop, and she was frozen with fear. _I can't…_ She turned around and started to walk, then jog, then sprint towards her house.

Tears clouded her vision, and she was so determined to get home that she didn't notice the silver haired guy walking in front of her, heading the opposite direction. She slammed into him with great force; however, her lack of body weight sent her staggering backwards. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

"Kagome? What's wrong? Where are you going? My house is the other way…" he said.

"Inuyasha…? I… I need to go home…I can't go to your house today… I'm sorry," she said, and pulled herself from his grip.

"Why not? We need to get started as soon as possible. How come you just now decided to change your mind?" he asked incredulously.

"I just can't… I have something I need to do, so…" she trailed off, and stepped to her left, but Inuyasha countered with a step to his right.

"You don't think I'll let away with you skipping out on the work, do you?" he hissed.

"No, it's not like that… I just…" Kagome said, stepping to her right, but of course Inuyasha had to step to his left.

"Just what? Give me a good reason other than 'I just can't' and I'll let you skip today," he said, folding his arms.

"I've got something else to do…" she said, looking away.

"Right. Forget it. You're coming. I want to get this started so we can get this over with. Let's go," he said, and grabbed onto her arm gently but firmly.

Kagome yanked her arm away. "Please don't touch me," she said softly.

Inuyasha shrugged and turned away. "Whatever," he said and started walking. When he didn't notice her footsteps behind him, he turned and saw Kagome still standing in the same spot, clutching her wrist. "You coming or what?"

Kagome nodded, and followed behind him until they reached his house. When he looked at her again, he realized how petrified she looked. "You okay?" he asked, while they headed up to the porch. She nodded. "We don't bite, I swear," he said, smirking as he opened the door.

Miroku was already sitting at the table, papers scattered all over when they entered. "Ah! You made it! Well let's get to studying!" he said, picking up his papers while Inuyasha led them to his room. They all sat down and worked, the situation completely tense with Kagome's silence. She refused to sit near them and made sure that she was near the door at all times.

About two hours later, Miroku shut his book and yawned. "How about some food, Inuyasha?" he said, stretching his legs out.

"How about you go buy your own?" he spat sarcastically.

"Aw come on! You volunteered your house, it's your responsibility to make sure we are accommodated well, as your guests," Miroku said.

"I didn't volunteer shit, Houshi. Get your own food!" Inuyasha hissed.

"Now, now, Inuyasha. Don't speak so harshly. You're offending the lady…" he said, motioning toward Kagome, who had been listening silently the whole time. She blushed when included in the conversation. Inuyasha glanced at her.

"Whatever… come on. I'll get you guys some food," he said, stepping out into the hallway. Kagome and Miroku followed close behind when "Mmph!" Inuyasha huffed. "Will you watch where you're going, you idiot?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Hm. Rude as always, I see," came Sesshomaru's voice. He glanced at the two behind Inuyasha. "Miroku," he said, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Who's this friend of yours, Inuyasha? Are you so embarrassed of me that you can't introduce me to new friends, little brother?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome avoided looking at his face the entire time.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Sesshomaru, this is Kagome. Kagome, my older brother Sesshomaru. He's in his second year of college," Inuyasha said sarcastically, and Kagome bowed, never taking her eyes from her feet. "You happy?"

Just then, another male about Sesshomaru's age appeared behind him. The man also curiously looked at Kagome, first a look of shock and recognition in his eyes, but it disappeared so quickly, no one could have been sure it was there. Inuyasha sighed, causing Kagome to glance up, the unmistakable expression of fear crossing over her features. "Okay, this is Kagome. Kagome, this is my brother's friend…"

"…Naraku…" she half-whispered. She stepped back in fear. _No. Not him… Why him? Why here? Why now? Why me?_

"Oh… you two know each other?" Inuyasha asked, surprised. Miroku and Sesshomaru here just as shocked, however Sesshomaru made no move to show it.

Kagome nodded. _I have to… get out of here… before… something… bad…_ She backed up one more step.

Naraku smirked. He chuckled lightly. "Heh. You could say that," he said, not moving his gaze from Kagome's, daring her to speak. However, she could not find her voice, or her will to run, which was what her mind was screaming at her to do.

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Okay, I feel as if my writing is already starting to go downhill, if at all possible. That was pretty frickin quick! Anyway, I feel the need to thank my reviewers. It makes me feel extra special to get reviews, especially on my very first story. Please, if you enjoy this, recommend it to your friends. And if you've read this, please review!

**Quick authors note (Please Read):** Okay, about people's names in here… Sango's last name (Naguru) is Japanese for "To punch, to slap, to beat up, etc." I thought I might add a little humor in on that one. As for what the first-years call her, "Miss Sango," that has to do with the fact that she is older. In Japan, it is traditional for younger students to refer to their older classmates as "senpai". However, I am trying to "English-ify" things in this story in order to make it easier to understand for those who are _not_ Japanese- learning people or whatever, so I chose to use "Miss Sango".

Inuyasha refers to Miroku as "Houshi" which is the Japanese word for monk. After spending so much time on Sango's last name, I didn't feel like trying to get any other names, plus they all sounded so terrible with "Miroku". Just take it that Inuyasha's not calling him "Monk" really, but think of it more as a name. Like that TV show _Monk_. Everyone calls him "Monk" because of his last name, not like he really is one.

As for Koga's last name, "Wolff" if you need to ask, you need to watch Inuyasha. As for Arashi, I made him up. I don't think I could stand for any _more _people in the show to not like Kagome. So don't concern yourself with him, I'm fairly sure his name doesn't mean anything.

_(Okay I lied about these notes being short, but I really thought they were somewhat important. These will probably be the last extensive author's notes I'll have to use, so… yeah. If you're reading this, and haven't read the notes about, please go back and read it.)_

**Reviewers: **I was so happy to hear from you all. I got nothing but positive feedback, and that makes me feel very good, so thanks. Although of course I don't mind flames as long as they're not "I hate you, you suck," kind of things. Please if you're going to flame, have a purpose in doing so. Thanks a bunch!

**Kousagi-chan: **Thanks for your review. I was really hoping for an "attention grabbing" kind of summary. Not as successful as I'd hoped, but hey, it's still early. I hope this chapter allowed you to start to piece things together as to why Kagome's being picked on, but if not, fear not! The truth will soon be revealed!

**Aqua Miko: **I was aiming for an interesting story… in a good way of course! . Thanks for your review.

**Lady Desdemona:** What exactly is "Desdemona"…? Anyway, thanks for your review. It just might be Sess/ Kag! (maybe)

**Your-Worste-Nightmare13: **Glad you liked the story so far. I just hope I don't lose any of my already small audience with this chapter. It'll get better, I swear! Just might be Inu/ Kag… guess you won't know until you read!

**Kimonolover: **Strange… I was waiting for someone to be angry about me making Sango hate Kagome. Everyone always makes her the "sister-like" character. But for now, she's gonna be one of the villains.


	3. The Incident

**Author's Note: **Goodness it took me forever to figure out how to start out this chapter. I decided to try something a little different, hopefully, it will be successful. Thanks for reading.

**One more thing: **This Chapter is dedicated to Lady Desdemona and her totally cool name.

**Disclaimer: **You gotta be crazy. I claims red. Figure it out yourself.

Well here goes nothing…

**::The Incident::**

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_I always hear people say things on the news, like the leading cause of death is alcohol, and whatever other drugs. Drunk drivers, random crack heads going on killing sprees. Some people say money is the cause of all today's problems. But we're all hiding the real truth here._

_ Low self- esteem. It makes the pretty girls cut up their faces and the skinny girls starve themselves. Most of all, it makes girls like me make girls like Kagome suffer. From the first time I met Koga three years ago, I was sure that I loved him. But after he turned me down, I thought I could just live as his friend. After all, Koga was quite the player back then. No girl really expected to get close to him… well, not emotionally anyway. He was good. Real good._

_ But then, about a year and a half ago, he met Kagome. They hit if off right away. I'll admit, I was jealous. She was so beautiful, and she hardly tried. Everywhere she went, she would turn guys' heads, without even noticing. So they started dating, and were immediately known as "an item". And Koga must have been in love with her. He only had eyes for her, it seemed. I was out of the picture._

_ But even with someone he seemed to care so much about, Koga wasn't able to control himself. I guess Kagome wouldn't give herself to him, so he found refuge elsewhere. That's where I came in. That's where probably ten other girls came in. Kagome paid no attention. Didn't notice, or didn't care. _

_Koga started to be more demanding of her. One day, her skirt too long, the next, it was too short. He started to yell at her for little things. Like wearing her hair down when he wanted her to wear it up. She would wear ankle socks, rather thank knee socks, and she didn't wear enough makeup. I guess he was finally happy with how she was, after a while. She was quiet, always did as he said, wore what he told her, ate what and when he told her to. But the funny thing was, she seemed almost… happy. She always smiled, even when he was being cross with her._

_But one day, that all changed. I'm not really sure what happened myself. All I know is that they broke up. I couldn't tell you why. Maybe she curled her hair in instead of out. I haven't a clue. She stopped speaking. Stopped looking people in the eye. She didn't wear any makeup, and hardly brushed her hair. She would always walk slowly on the side of the hallways, never looking up, never speaking, nothing. She looked… dead._

_Then the guys started to pick on her. They had some kind of barbaric contest, to see who could get Kagome to talk first. They would pull her hair, touch her in ways a girl would not want to be touched, and say all sorts of mean things about her, and straight to her face. She would do nothing, except when she saw Koga, she'd cry._

_That was when the rumors started to fly. Awful rumors. I have no idea why she doesn't fight back. I still don't know what really happened, and I don't really care. I just don't want her taking from me again. She had everything. Guys, grades, athleticism. Sure, it's all gone now, but who knows when it may come back? I aim to keep her down, or my name ain't "Miss Sango"._

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"Oh… you two know each other?" Inuyasha asked, surprised. Miroku and Sesshomaru here just as shocked, however Sesshomaru made no move to show it.

Kagome nodded. I have to… get out of here… before… something… bad… She backed up one more step.

Naraku smirked. He chuckled lightly. "Heh. You could say that," he said, not moving his gaze from Kagome's, daring her to speak. However, she could not find her voice, or her will to run, which was what her mind was screaming at her to do.

Naraku stepped forward, Kagome stepped backwards, attempting to hide behind Inuyasha. She clutched the back of his shirt, and Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"I… I… don't. I can't…" Kagome stuttered, looking at Naraku and shaking. Naraku closed the distance between them, and tightly wrapped his arms around Kagome in a crushing embrace. She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her. He buried his face in her tangled hair.

"It's been long, Kagome. Too long. How I've missed you…" he said, laughing. Tears sprang to Kagome's eyes as she struggled in his grasp.

"Please…" she whimpered. He put his hands on her lower back and pulled her into him. She struggled to push him away.

"We have so much catching up to do, my pet…" he whispered in her ear, sending shivers of repulsion up and down her spine. They were interrupted by Inuyasha clearing his throat irritatedly.

"We were just on our way to the kitchen, but we have work to do, so if you'd do this later, that would be much appreciated," he sneered.

Naraku released Kagome, and she quickly stepped away, wiping her eyes. _They must have been close,_ Inuyasha thought. They went to the kitchen, got their food, and Kagome announced that she had to be on her way. Inuyasha offered to walk her home, since it was dark out, but she refused.

Unfortunately, on her way home, Kagome ran into a group of muggers. Not just ordinary muggers either, but three boys who went to her high school. She recognized them as Arashi, and two of his friends- one brown-haired guy with slightly curly hair, and a black-haired guy with over-toned biceps.

"Hey. Look who it is, it's the whore," Biceps had called out. "Whatcha doin' all the way out here at this time of night?"

"I'll bet she had another 'job' with some 'client' a' hers," Arashi snickered.

Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat. "What do you want?" she asked meekly. They laughed.

"See, we're lookin for some fun, but we're a little short on money. Will you lend us yours?" Curly asked.

"I don't… have any money," she whispered.

"Too bad… I thought you mighta just got some, but… looks like we'll have to have a little… free fun tonight," Arashi said, cracking his knuckles. Just then, a phone rang. Arashi fished his out of his pocket, and, checking the screen, flipped open the phone. "Yeah?" he practically shouted. "I'm busy, so if you'd get to the point… yeah I can be there…about five minutes, what's up? Huh… yeah… so… HE DID WHAT!? Jesus. I'll be there in five," he said, snapping the phone shut. "We're outta here," he said to his friends, turning around.

"What? But I thought…" Curly began.

"Something more important came up," Arashi interrupted. He glanced back at Kagome. "Later, whore. Call me when you want a good time," he said, and with that, he and his minions were gone, leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts. She hurried home, and was pretty much left alone all the way there.

The next day, they agreed to meet at Inuyasha's house again, despite Kagome's weak protests. Luckily, Naraku hadn't shown up, and Kagome never saw Sesshomaru either. The week was pretty much uneventful, minus the regular teasing she dealt with throughout the day. Most people wouldn't pick on her when she was around Inuyasha and Miroku, which was a lot. After about three weeks, Kagome started to talk to the guys, but of course went practically dead silent during school hours. She never really said much, and didn't really joke around, but she had admitted to Inuyasha that she was being abused at school when he asked about particular bruises on her arms.

As she was leaving her history class one Friday, she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders, and she jumped. She turned around to see Miroku holding up his hands as if to say, "I'm innocent!" He smiled and said, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you… uh…. Are you okay?" He looked concerned when he noticed how pale Kagome looked. He touched her shoulder again. "I never noticed how thin you were. What do you eat?" he asked.

_I don't. _"Oh, you know… this and that. My family's real athletic… fast metabolism, you know?" Kagome stammered, shrugging off his hand and stepping away.

Miroku just looked at her. "Sorry. I forgot you didn't like to be touched…" he said apologetically. Kagome's face turned a bit red. "Your skin's real light for an athlete, you know?" he said, suspiciously.

"Oh, well, you know how it is," Kagome said uncomfortably. Miroku raised an eyebrow, and Kagome shifted her weight to her other foot, wringing her hands uncomfortably. She noticed the glares she got from particular girls in the hallway, and became even more insecure. Miroku, however, didn't seem to notice. "Was there something you needed to tell me?" Kagome prompted, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, right. It's about our meeting today. I have to go somewhere with my mom after school, so I won't be there until around five. Do you think you can let Inuyasha know? I have to leave school in about ten minutes, so I won't see him" Miroku explained.

"Sure, it's no problem," Kagome said, then glanced behind Miroku. "Listen, I need to get to class, so I'll see you later," Kagome said suddenly, stepping further away from Miroku.

"You want me to walk with you? It's on my way…" Miroku offered.

"No… it's okay. I have to run…" she said, turning away, but Miroku grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you're okay? Your next class is this way…" he said, pulling her along.

She yanked her arm away. "Stop!" she yelled.

Miroku looked at his hand. "Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you… I just…" he trailed off.

"No… don't worry about it… it's nothing…I just …need to… get something from my locker," she lied.

"But your locker's this way too…"

"I need to go to the bathroom."

"There's one down the hall…"

"That one smells," she responded. Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Really, I have to go, and I'll be sure to tell Inuyasha. Bye," Kagome said abruptly, then practically ran down the hall away from Miroku.

"Ookay…" Miroku said to himself, then he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Oh hey Sango. Oh man, are you okay?" he said, when he saw tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Miroku… it's so terrible," she sobbed, false tears flowing from her eyes. She threw her arms around him, and when Kagome looked back, displayed her middle finger and smirked. Kagome just ran around the corner. Sango fought the urge to laugh when she realized that Miroku's hand was stroking her back, and slowly creeping downward. She wiped away her fake tears. _Oh the look on her face was priceless…_

"…There, there, Sango…" he was saying. "It'll be okay…"

_He actually bought that crap? May as well play along. _Sango took her arms from around Miroku's neck and stepped away. "Thanks, Miroku, you really made me feel better. See ya later now," she said, in a totally normal, totally calm voice that surprised Miroku.

"Uh… anytime…?" he said, confused, as Sango turned and walked away. _Girls._ He shrugged and walked toward the office.

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A few hours later, Kagome found herself outside of Inuyasha's door. She checked her watch. 3:45. _I told Inuyasha I'd be here by four, but he never minds if I'm early…_Inuyasha. The boy whose face had plagued her thoughts these past few weeks. Her and Inuyasha actually got along pretty well, as well as Miroku. She told them things when they were willing to pry it out of her. Just as she reached the porch, she looked down at her feet, a habit she had recently re-formed in front of Inuyasha, for she was afraid that if she looked into his eyes, she would want to tell him everything. With Kagome, some, actually, most things were better left unsaid.

She raised her hand to knock when the door opened. Looking down at her feet, she caught a glimpse of his silver hair. She couldn't help but look up "Hey Inu…" she trailed off.

"My half-wit brother is currently out," Sesshomaru stated.

Kagome temporarily lost her ability to speak. After three weeks of coming to Inuyasha's house, this was the first time she'd actually _looked_ at Sesshomaru. There was the time when she "met" him, but her eyes never really left the floor, except to gape at Naraku and cower in fear. Kagome's mind instantly swirled with tons of different thoughts. _Why do I suddenly wish I had brushed my hair this morning? Why am I so flustered…? It's just Inuyasha's brother… Inuyasha's older, sophisticated, good-looking brother._ Of course Kagome had thought Inuyasha himself was good-looking, but in a different way. Inuyasha was cute, Sesshomaru was just downright… _beautiful._ Kagome came out of her thoughts when she realized they were just staring at each other.

"You're a friend of his?" he asked. Kagome opened her mouth to speak. "Oh yes, you're Kagome. I remember you."

Kagome nodded. "Do you um… know when he'll be back? I'm here to… uh… work on a project with him," she stammered.

Sesshomaru just looked at her for a second. "He's at the store. You can wait inside for him, if you want," he offered.

"The store? But I told him…" Kagome started.

"We're out of milk," Sesshomaru said simply.

"Oh…" she responded. She looked at the ground uncomfortably, and noticed that Sesshomaru was wearing shoes. "Oh, you're leaving?"

"Yes. To the store," he responded.

"But Inuyasha's at the…"

"We're out of chips," he said.

"Why couldn't you just tell him…"she began.

"He's an incompetent," he stated.

_Translation: I forgot._ "I'll go with you," she offered.

"I'd rather you didn't," he answered. "Wait here for my brother. He shall return shortly," he said, and walked past Kagome, leaving the door wide open. Kagome stared at him for a few seconds before deciding to wait inside. She closed the door behind her, removed her shoes, and went straight to Inuyasha's room to set down her bag. Not comfortable with just waiting in his room, she decided to give herself a tour of the house. Three weeks of coming over, and she'd never had the courage to ask.

She stepped out of his room, and headed down the hall, opening the closest random door. She stepped inside what she assumed was Sesshomaru's room, judging from the letters set on his desk that were addressed to him. She started to look through his fair-sized bookshelf, curious as to what he read. Then, she heard a movement behind her. She dropped the book she was currently holding. "Sorry, I…" she apologized to who she assumed was Sesshomaru. _Wrong._

There, standing about four feet away from her, with water dripping from his hair to his chiseled torso, wearing nothing but a towel was the man who plagued her nightmares for the past year: _Naraku_. "What are you doing here?" she whispered, her voice suddenly gone hoarse.

"I could ask you the same. I was taking a shower. Where are Sesshomaru and Inuyasha?" he asked, walking toward her. He pulled his long hair back into a ponytail.

Kagome retreated backwards with every step he took. "Gone…" she said fearfully. She backed into the wall behind her, and Naraku was about a step away.

"Wonderful. I have you… all to myself…" he said, and firmly placed his hands on the wall on either side of Kagome's shoulders. He leaned in closer, so that his lips were merely centimeters from her own.

"They're coming soon… don't get any ideas…" Kagome said, trying to back away.

"Of course not," he said, then made a move to kiss her, but Kagome turned her head away, and he kissed her cheek. This seemed to suit him just fine as he started a trail of kisses down her neck and to her collarbone.

She put her hands on his chest and struggled to push him away. "Please… stop…" she said. "Don't do this to me…I'm begging you…" she whimpered.

He ignored her as he continued to kiss her body. His hands left the walls and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him, becoming more and more aroused as she struggled against him. His hands explored her back underneath her shirt as he pressed her more firmly against his body. "Stop it!" she shouted, but her further words were lost as he pressed his mouth firmly over her own.

She tried to fight back, kicking, scratching, biting, but she was no match for him. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Naraku held her hands above her head with one hand, and reached to lift her skirt with the other. _Not again._

Naraku was startled by a noise behind him. He removed his bloodied lips from Kagome's, but still held his hands firmly in place. "Excuse me…" Inuyasha started, glaring at the two. Naraku immediately let go of Kagome and stepped away. Kagome pulled her shirt down, and wiped her face. "What's going on here…?" he asked, looking at Kagome. No response. The room was silently tense for a minute.

Naraku cleared his throat. "Well… I'd better be on my way…" Naraku said, and promptly left the room, heading back to the bathroom to change. Inuyasha stared at Kagome, scrutinizing her as she wiped her eyes. He returned to Sesshomaru's room to take his bag, and touched Kagome's face as he was on his way out. "Until next time…" he said. She jerked her face away and he laughed, heading out the door.

Inuyasha glared at Kagome before following him out, and Kagome followed behind him to the front door. As Naraku left, Inuyasha slammed the door shut behind him. "What the hell were you doing?" he yelled.

Almost instantly, Kagome started to really cry. Her body shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. Inuyasha was immediately highly uncomfortable. He never knew how to deal with a crying girl. Heck, he hardly knew how to deal with girls, period. "Uh… Kagome… what happened…?" he asked gently. He reached out and lightly touched her arm. Kagome didn't jerk away like she usually did, she only slowly shrank away from his hands. But that didn't stop Inuyasha. He took hold of both of her upper arms and pulled her toward him. "You can tell me," he said, ducking to try and look into her eyes.

She tried to step away, but Inuyasha held her still. She looked down to her left as her tears continued to fall freely from her eyes. Inuyasha took her chin in his right hand. "Kagome," he pressed gently. He gazed into her eyes and was saddened by what he saw. The warmness that had started to build up in the past weeks was gone. She was afraid of something, and she would refuse to tell him what. He took a deep breath. "Kagome… listen. Was he…" Inuyasha paused, stroking her cheek softly. "Kagome, was Naraku… was he… _forcing_ himself on you…?" he asked cautiously.

The tears poured down her face even faster than before as Kagome covered her face with her hands. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, lacing his fingers through her tangled hair and resting his hand on her back. "Kagome… is that what happened?" he asked. He felt her nod against the already damp cloth of his shirt, courtesy of Kagome. He sighed, and unconsciously held her closer. Kagome, for once, didn't struggle. Instead, she relaxed, and closed her eyes as she leaned her head against Inuyasha's chest, her sobs slowly easing up, but not stopping. "What kind of man…" he started, when he looked down and realized he was still holding Kagome. "Oh… sorry about that…" he said, releasing her.

To his surprise, she didn't move away. "No… it's okay…" she sobbed, glancing at his eyes, then looking away. She stepped backward and wiped her eyes. The stood in silence for a moment

"So uh… can you tell me what happened?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome wouldn't meet his gaze, but instead kept wiping her eyes. She slowly shook her head.

Kagome jumped when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist. He tugged her down the hall towards his room. "Come on," he said when he felt her start to resist.

She shook her head. "No… I…" she stuttered, and tried to back away, but she had simply lost the fight in her. She was weak to begin with anyway.

"I won't do anything, I swear. Now come on. We need to sit down and talk. And my room's the perfect place in case Sesshomaru comes home," he said, leading her down the hall to his room, but she yanked her arm away and turned on her heel as quickly as possible. "Kagome!" he yelled, but he was too late. She was already halfway out the door, and left her shoes and her bag behind. "Dammit Kagome!" he yelled, running after her to the door, but stopping to put his shoes. By now, Kagome had about 150 meters on him. _Damn she's quick. I should have left my shoes. Stupid girl_. He thought to himself as he grabbed her shoes and chased after her. "Kagome!" he shouted, but she was already rounding the corner at the end of the street, heading toward the train station. She only lived about a mile away, but the train was the fastest way there.

He started closing the gap just as Kagome got nearer to the train station. He saw her flash her card and sprint by as the people stared at her. A girl running down the street in her disheveled school uniform and a torn pair of socks wasn't exactly the most common sight. Unfortunately, Inuyasha had neither a pass, nor money with him, so he wasn't allowed on the train, and turned away just as he saw Kagome board the train. He walked back the way he came, intending on going home, but he found himself walking in the opposite direction, toward Kagome's house.

He reached her house and as he walked up the driveway, saw wet footprints heading toward the door, meaning Kagome had made it home. That much, at least, was a relief. Then, he saw a quick flash of metal coming from a window, momentarily blinding him. _What the hell?_ He sprinted to the front door and flung it open, momentarily forgetting common courtesy and manners. He glanced at the floor and threw Kagome's shoes to the ground, hastily removing his as well. _No other shoes. She's alone_. He jogged down the hallway, toward a faint noise he heard, _Kagome's crying_. He stepped into what was apparently the kitchen and saw Kagome, her back toward him, doing something that he couldn't see "Kagome…?" he called.

Inuyasha was shocked as she turned, her eyes puffy and red. But that wasn't what surprised him. It was the blade she held in her right hand, and the crimson life liquid that leaked from her arm. "I can't do this anymore, Inuyasha," was all she said before she began to fall. Inuyasha took her in his arms, ignoring the huge stain it caused on his shirt.

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The funeral for Kagome was a few days later. Inuyasha sat there and cried like he'd never cried before. After about a hundred hugs and about 10 or 15 crying faces (hardly anyone showed up outside her family), Inuyasha was pretty much done. He pulled the pills from his pocket as he left the room, and took a bottle of water on his way out. _Good – bye, Kagome. For good._ He took the pills, and died.

The End…

Just kidding.

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"Kagome! What the hell?" he yelled, and grabbed her arm, examining the wound. It wasn't too deep, but it was serious enough to cause a problem if the bleeding wasn't stopped. "Bandages. Where do you keep the bandages?" he yelled, panicking.

"Down the hall, first door on the left. Medicine cabinet," she said shortly. Miraculously, she had stopped crying. Inuyasha simply picked her up, carried her into the bathroom, grabbed a handful of supplies and guided her to the nearest room, which happened to be hers. He sat her down on the bed and began to dress her wounds.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Cutting yourself like that. You idiot," he lectured. "You could really hurt yourself…" he trailed off. He noticed that this was not the only cut on her arm. She had a few short and long lines up and down her arms. "Kagome…?" he asked. Suddenly he stopped, pushed up her other sleeve, and saw the same thing.

He stared at her, and Kagome stared blankly back. No tears, no nothing. Just staring at him with that same melancholy gaze as before. "Kagome, what's wrong with you?" he asked again, going back to wrapping her arm.

"He raped me, you know," Kagome said flatly. Inuyasha nearly dropped the medicine he held in his hands.

"What? But how? You were still… and he was…" he stuttered.

"Not today. Almost a year ago, Inuyasha. That's what's wrong. And no one cares. No one but me. I'm dirty, and I should die," she said in a monotone, pulling her arm away. Inuyasha just stared at her in silence.

She stood and left the room, heading back toward the kitchen. It took Inuyasha a minute to register what had happened, but when he did, he stood and followed her to the kitchen, where she had her back to him. He saw the bloody bandages on the floor and she had her back to him again, but this time, she was facing the sink and had the water running. She stood there, washing the knife she had cut her arm with, only moments before. She looked at Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye. "Kagome, I…" he started.

"Don't be sorry. No one else is," she said. Inuyasha stood there quietly for about a minute. Kagome stopped washing the knife, and then began to scrub her arms with soap and water. "I know it's kind of sick, but…" she began. Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Whenever I cut myself, I like to wash my arms with soap and water, or do the dishes. I like the way it makes my skin burn. Do you understand?" she asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question, her voice was so still. She turned to face him, tears running down her cheeks again. "Do you hate me now?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I could never…" he started. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, more forcibly than before. Kagome struggled at first, but soon fell into his embrace.

"Thank you…" she said. He looked down at her, and she looked at him. In that moment, time stopped for the both of them, and there was nothing but the two of them. Kagome wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. "Thank you…" she whispered again. Inuyasha shook his head and ran the fingers of one hand through her hair.

His fingers grazed her face and he gently wiped away her tears. "Thanks for telling me," he said. They gazed into each other's eyes again, and nothing else mattered. Not the blood dripping from Kagome's arm, not the fact that he'd left his front door open at home, nothing. He leaned forward slowly, and with their eyes locked on each other's, they kissed.

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Okay! Chapter ended! Dang this one was long! (Don't get used to it!) For those of you unhappy with what's going on right now, never fear, this is only the beginning. Things are gonna change up a lot, really soon. I can't give it away, but well, yeah. Figure out things for yourself for now, but I'll have something out soon. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope no one got too angry about my little fake ending up there… - I couldn't resist! _dodges rotten fruit _Sorry if it seemed a little rushed. I wanted to get this chapter out quickly.

**Reviewers:** Thanks so much! I got even more feedback than before! Feel free to leave me any questions/ comments/ concerns! I'm always glad to hear it!

**Your-worste-nightmare13: **Thank you for the praise. Yep! It's Naraku! Happy New Years to you too, although it's a bit late…. -

**Tokyo Princess:** Thanks! Of course I'll continue this! I'm always happy to hear from new people! - See ya next time!

**Meji:** Here's the update!

**Kimonolover: **o.O? What exactly do you eat…? Blackmailed her into being his girlfriend? Hit her? When did I say that? Lol.

**Kagome15:** Thanks! I'll work hard to keep updating as quickly as I can.

**Aqua Miko: **Thank you, thank you. You hate cliffies? Me too. Hopefully this one wasn't too bad. But then I still want people to keep reading, that's why I try to do cliffhangers. Didn't work out this time, but oh well!

**Sessys-lover4eva:** Thanks. I tried for a plot that wasn't too over-done.

**Animewiz: **love?

**Anna:** Thanks. I hope I did good on this chapter.

**Lady Desdemona:** No way! How cool! That's your real name? I love Shakespeare. What play is it? I'd like to read it, if I can get ahold of it. Read the note at the very top, and thanks for your reviews! -


	4. Jealousy

**Author's Note: **Gosh this story is getting harder and harder to write. I was so excited about the first chapter, but now, it's just so hard to get my thoughts on paper… err… computer screen. So forgive me if I start to slow down on updates. I figure no one will enjoy reading something I don't enjoy writing, so I'll have to slow down in order to write better.

**Extra Note: **This chapter is dedicated to embarrassing **LadyDesdemona** and her slow reviews.

This chapter is also dedicated to **KuroiHi** because I'm afraid of half-dead monkeys.

**Disclaimer:** What? Cries

I'm gonna give this a try. Don't kill me if you hate it.

**Chapter 4: Jealousy**

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_ Is this what love truly is? Someone who can see you at your worst, and still hold you in his arms? Koga…never did that…I'm wondering if maybe I can… no! I don't want this!_ Kagome tried to pull away from Inuyasha, but for a moment, he held her tight. Then, suddenly, he pulled partially away, gazing into her eyes. His eyes remained focused on her features for a few seconds, but then immediately released her, turning a deep shade of red.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't… I wasn't trying to… make you uncomfortable," he stuttered.

"It's okay… I…" she started, but Inuyasha just kept talking.

"I didn't mean to. I mean it was an accident and I was trying to uh…" he rambled.

_ He didn't mean to…_

"I was trying to make you feel better and I uh…you just… reminded me of uh…" he stopped right there.

"Reminded you…of who…?" Kagome asked.

"What? Oh. I don't know. Just forget it," he said quickly.

"Oh… okay…" she muttered. _He didn't mean to… Translation: he didn't want to…_ "Don't worry about it… it's fine…" Kagome said, more to herself than him. They stood in an uncomfortable silence for about a minute, looking at anything and everything in the kitchen but each other.

"So uh… you wanna talk about it…?" Inuyasha asked cautiously.

"About… no… I don't. At least not today…" Kagome trailed off.

"Right… you'll tell me when you're ready?" Inuyasha said, but it came out more as a question.

Kagome nodded. "Sure," she said. They stood in silence for another moment.

"Do you want me to stay with you…? I mean, at least until your parents get home?" he offered.

"Only my mom and my brother live here," she told him.

"Oh… sorry about that…" Inuyasha said uncomfortably.

"No, it's okay… they're just divorced. It happened when… oh never mind," Kagome said. Another silent moment passed by.

"So would you like me to stay?" Inuyasha asked again.

"No, it's okay… I mean… I wouldn't want to have to explain to my mom why you and I are here alone. So you can go," Kagome said.

"Well I guess I'd better be getting back. I left the front door wide open and Sesshomaru's probably gonna have a heart attack when I get home," Inuyasha said. "I'll go after I wrap your arm back up," he offered, and headed back to Kagome's room for the supplies. She sat on her bed and he crouched on the floor in front of her and started to process again. When he finished, he stood slowly, holding onto Kagome's hand. "Well I guess I'll be on my way now," he said, and upon glancing down, released her hand and turned slightly red. Kagome did the same.

He headed toward the front door and Kagome followed him out. Just as he reached the door, he turned to speak again. "Well, I guess I'll see you around… as long as you promise me you won't…" he trailed off, glancing at her arm. Nothing more needed to be said.

"I won't," she said. "And please don't tell…" she started, only to be cut off by Inuyasha.

"I promise I won't tell anyone," Inuyasha swore. They said their good-byes and Inuyasha departed, listening to Kagome close the door behind him. He sighed and half-heartedly started on the long walk home.

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Miroku lay on the couch in the front room of Inuyasha's house, staring at the ceiling, waiting for someone to return. He had arrived with the front door wide open, and all the shoes missing from the foyer. He closed his eyes for a second when he heard someone working at the lock. He sat up and looked at the door, only to see Sesshomaru's questioning face. "Oh," Miroku said. "It's you."

"Of course. Where has everyone gone and why are you alone in my house?" he asked, with emotionless suspicion in his voice.

"To answer your last question, the front door was wide open and no one was here. And your first question, I have no idea. I was getting ready to ask you. And who exactly is everyone?" Miroku inquired.

"Naraku, Kagome, and Inuyasha. Kagome and Naraku were here when I left, so it's strange that they would all disappear," Sesshomaru answered.

"You left them here alone?" Miroku asked. "I noticed Kagome's bag in Inuyasha's room. She must have been in a hurry to get out if she left it behind…"Miroku said thoughtfully.

Sesshomaru shrugged lightly and headed into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Inuyasha pushed the door open, and walked slowly through the living room, right past Miroku as if he didn't even notice he was there, and into the kitchen. He finally looked up when he heard Sesshomaru's voice. "So you've finally returned," he said simply, then turned back to the counter where he was currently preparing food for himself.

Suddenly, Inuyasha was angry. "Finally returned, my ass! Where the hell were you?" Inuyasha shouted, advancing on his brother menacingly.

"I could ask you the same, little brother," Sesshomaru said, with the slightest show of irritation.

"I was with Kagome. Now where the hell were you when Kagome was here _alone_ with that bastard Naraku?" Inuyasha yelled.

"I wasn't aware that it concerned you, but I was at the store. I was on my way out when Kagome arrived, so I allowed her inside. Kagome and Naraku know each other, so…"

"Yeah they know each other alright… dumb ass," Inuyasha grumbled. "Keep that asshole friend of yours away from Kagome, or else there'll be serious trouble," Inuyasha spat, and then stormed out of the kitchen toward his room, with Miroku quickly on his heels.

"What was that all about?" Miroku asked, once they were down the hall.

"That bastard hurt Kagome, Miroku. I'm going to kill him if he ever goes near her again," Inuyasha whispered.

"Oh, did he dump her? That's no big deal, my friend. It'll all blow over soon," Miroku said, and patted Inuyasha on the back.

"Dump her… What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha spat, and grabbed Miroku's arm violently.

"Well I heard Naraku tell Sesshomaru one day that he and Kagome had hooked up at a party, so one's to assume…" Miroku began.

"What? 'Hooked up'? What kind of crap is that?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Well with information like that, one's to assume that the rumors of Kagome's choice in sexual promiscuity are true," Miroku smirked.

"Sexual… what the hell are you talking about?"

"Well rumor has it that…"

"I know what the rumors say! But they aren't true! Kagome did _not_ cheat on Koga," Inuyasha hissed.

"And how do you know this?"

"Kagome told me… well not exactly, but she did tell me that…" Inuyasha trailed off.

"Told you what, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I promised not to tell."

"Did she tell you that she cheated on Koga with Naraku?" Miroku asked.

"No, you ass. I told you she didn't…"

"That she had sex with Koga?"

"No, she didn't tell me that…" Inuyasha responded.

"Then she had sex with Naraku after Koga dumped her? And that's why you…" Miroku started, but Inuyasha interrupted him.

"No, you idiot. Naraku raped her… uh…" Inuyasha said after he realized he had just broken his promise, less than three hours after he'd made it.

"He what? No way! Did she press charges?"

"No! I mean I don't know. She wouldn't tell me anything. Don't tell her I told you Miroku. I swore I wouldn't tell anyone," Inuyasha begged.

"Sure, of course. Your secret is safe with me," Miroku said, and prompted him to tell about how Inuyasha found out.

_Three days later, in Inuyasha's room…_

"So Kagome…Inuyasha told me a little about the incidents between you and Naraku. Will you tell us the whole story so we can help?" Miroku asked, taking a hold of Kagome's hand.

Kagome turned to stare at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha in turn glared at Miroku. "Miroku! What the hell?" he shouted.

"What? I'm simply trying to help out our friend here," Miroku asked innocently. Inuyasha was getting ready to go off on Miroku, but Kagome interrupted him.

"I'd really rather not… I mean it's just too…" Kagome said.

"Please, Kagome. Tell us. I really want to help you in any way that I can. And they say that talking about a traumatizing event is the best road toward recovery. I know something has to be wrong, Kagome. You're so thin, and I've seen cuts on your arms when you push up your sleeves," he added softly.

Kagome bit her lip and looked away. "I…" she started.

"Kagome, it's okay. No matter what, we won't judge you. I'll still think you are the same beautiful, intelligent girl I always saw you as," Miroku said in an attempt to console her.

Kagome scoffed at this. _Beautiful. As if._ "And you won't tell anyone…?" she found herself asking, although it came out as more of a statement.

Miroku shook his head. "You have my word. I promise you I will not utter a word of this conversation to anyone, under any circumstances."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "I won't tell anyone this time… last time was an accident, I swear," Inuyasha said in his defense.

Kagome nodded, and took a deep breath to bring up memories from a year ago, memories she hadn't spoken aloud to anyone since the incident.

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Sesshomaru took a sip of water as he sat at the table, reading. No matter how much he tried to force his mind to stay within the text of the novel, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to Inuyasha and the incident with Kagome. He couldn't help but be angry, for some unknown reason. Most of the time, Inuyasha's little temper-tantrums had little, if any affect on him at all. He thought about the girl he had been screaming about. This girl, this _Kagome._ Perhaps Inuyasha was in love with her. But that was impossible, wasn't it?

Even though Sesshomaru usually cast the female species aside, especially when it came to high school girls, however this time was different. It's not that Kagome was special in anyway, but he had to admit she had a certain charm, and she was attractive, well… in that unkempt-street-rat kind of way, anyway.

Sesshomaru set his novel on the table and sighed. Inuyasha and his friends always proved to be a nuisance. He went to his room to put the book away and try to find something else, but heard voices coming from Inuyasha's room. Not the kind of light-hearted discussion about their project, but the serious tones of a significant conversation. He instead walked past his own room and into the office next to Inuyasha's room. As much as he denied it to himself, he was there only to listen to their conversation. He was merely curious about Inuyasha's friend, Kagome. Not like he was concerned or anything.

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"So where should I start?" Kagome asked softly.

"From the beginning," Miroku urged.

"Yeah, like why you're always upset, and why everyone at school picks on you, why Koga dumped you, and why I saw you cutting…" Inuyasha trailed off.

"Inuyasha, that's enough. Let Kagome tell us what she wants to say," Miroku interrupted.

From the next room over, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and sat down at the office desk, shuffling through some papers, acting as if that was his business there.

"Okay, well um… it all started about a year ago, when Koga and I first met. He was always quite the ladies' man, as I'm sure you already know. But when he met me, he stopped going out all the time, and then eventually we got together, and everything was really great, except that a lot of girls got really mad about it. But I thought I could deal with it, as long as Koga and I were together…" Kagome said, her voice getting softer and softer.

Sesshomaru unconsciously strained to listen from the next room. "Then what happened?" Inuyasha prompted her.

"I don't know. I really don't know. Things were okay for a while, but then, things just all of a sudden changed, and…" Kagome trailed off.

"And…?" Miroku asked.

"Well, he…" Kagome sobbed. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows from the next room in surprise. _He what?_

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**Author's Note:** Arrrrggh!!! I am the worst writer ever! I've been agonizing over this chapter for so long, and this is what I get out of it? I wrote and rewrote this chapter, almost obsessively, and it still comes out like crap. I would write a page, and then go back and delete the last two. Please don't kill me over my lameness. I have got the worst writer's block for this chapter, ever. I think that midterms just killed off my brain cells or something. I even went and started Chapter 5 before this one, and it came out better. How sad is that? _**Cries**_ Anyway, I'll get to responses to my inevitably upset reviewers…_ **cries more**_

**Reviewers: **As always, thanks for the much appreciated kind words of encouragement. I'm sorry this chapter is so crappy, but please, bear with me, and I swear it will get better!

**Duzzie: **Now if I told you that, there wouldn't be much of a story yet, now would there? **((Hint:** We haven't reached the climax yet!

**Silver: **I'll uhh… take that into consideration…--;;

**Tara: **I agree with you. I think Sango might be that honest to herself about some of the things I had her say. About her being insecure, my interpretation of her character would probably never admit that aloud, at least. It's one of those things that's in your mind, but you try as hard as you can to deny it… understand?

**WaterGoddess – Sapphire: **Glad you weren't disappointed. I've been totally disappointed with my last two chapters, and I hope I haven't disappointed you with this one either. I'm glad you enjoyed the fake ending. Lol. I was expecting all sorts of hate mail, but I thought I'd try and lighten it up a bit.

**Kimonolover: **I think I meant to ask what you smoke… just kidding. And about the pairings, it could go either way. Probably depending on what everyone else wants, or how the story turns out. I've already got some idea as to how it'll turn out.

**KuroiHi: _cowers in fear_**. Uhh… it was a joke? --; Yeah about Koga, you'll find out soon enough! Gosh! As far as Kagome and Sesshomaru go, I personally like the pairing. The fact that they are almost no match for each other, just makes the match even more perfect, if you get what I mean. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Read the top note.

**Saturngurl23: **That'll be in the next chapter. Thanks for the encouragement. I hope to hear from you soon.

**Gin: **Well thanks! I'm glad you're not talking about mine being poorly organized! I think…?

**Kena:** More chapters coming soon, I promise!

**Aqua Miko:** I know, I'm not too crazy about it either, but I thought it would be beneficial in getting my point across.

**Caramelcutie567:** Foreshadowing? Well not really. I mean it could be, but I'm not quite sure as to how I want to end the story yet, so yeah. Things are gonna change in the story of course. Love changes all! Or well, I like to think it does… You have some good ideas about what's going on, though. I'm glad you're so observant!

**Hanoi: **Thanks! I don't know if I'll give away the pairings just yet. Some other things still have to happen, and if I gave away the pairings, that would take away some of the elements of surprise I have planned for later on. I'll have to try and get a hold of Othello. You and Desdemona both say it's good, so… yeah.

**LadyDesdemona: **Yep, a few other people seemed to have the same reaction. As always, I'm glad to hear from you. From now on, I'll wait for you to review my chapter before I post because you're always the last one. So that way, all my readers can transfer their anger to you for being slow, instead of me. So hah. I'm sure Naraku has a good side, well actually… maybe not… Read the top note again.

**Final Note: **Thanks again for all the reviews! I'm just getting more and more! But I'll feel better about getting more reviews once I start actually writing well again… arrgghh! Well, see you all later!


	5. The Party

**Author's Note: **Thanks for sticking with me through the hard times (writer's block). I'm still slowly recovering. Please forgive my rushed plot and terrible description of events.

Also, this chapter is dedicated to **Kimonolover**… because… I don't want to die…

And we can't forget **LadyDesdemona**, who's making an effort to reveiw faster so that I can update quicker.

**Disclaimer: **I won't say it! Never!

**Chapter 5: The Party**

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_I'm not really sure what happened. I mean, I thought things were going okay. I heard rumors that he was always with another girl, when he wasn't with me, but I didn't want to believe it. I refused to listen. I mean all those roses, all those promises. I thought we were in love. I remember the last date, before the disaster. He brought me a single red rose, and took me out to the regular old dinner and a movie, then he brought me home, and kissed me while we stood alone on my porch. It was the first time I told him I loved him. He smiled and looked into my eyes. "Yeah, me too," he said. And I was so happy. I loved my boyfriend, and even through all the problems, my imperfections, he loved me back. I was sure that all of the rumors were lies, and that all was now right with the world._

_ But I should have known better. I should have known back then, when he couldn't say the words back to me, that he didn't love me. I should have known from the moment of the first day when he yelled at me and pulled my hair, because he thought my skirt was too short, even though it was the same length I'd worn for months. But the next day, I wore it longer, only to be scolded by him for being 'prudish'. He told me I needed to compete with the other girls._

_ I remember the first bruise he gave me, too. He struck me in the ribs because I cried in the hallways and embarrassed him by causing a scene. But I wouldn't have cried if he hadn't shouted at me and pulled my hair for wearing makeup. He told me I looked even uglier than usual. But this was all before that last date. I remember how he brought me a rose, and apologized. I always accepted his apologies. For the bruises, for the harsh words, for everything he ever did to upset me. He would always bring me a single red rose. And by the time that rose would start to wilt, he'd bring me a new one. Those roses would always begin to wilt after a few days._

_ Well at the time, things were going okay, I guess. I mean I didn't see much of him for about two weeks. He was always busy with something or other. Maybe I should say _someone_? More lies of his. Anyway, my rose died. Died before it got the chance to bloom, actually. The bud sort of just hung there over the tip of my vase. I remember looking at it while I got ready for my date with Koga. I thought about Koga bringing me a new rose to apologize for not being there for the past few weeks as I put on the earrings my father bought me for my birthday over spring break about a month ago. I didn't see Koga that whole week because he was gone on a 'family trip'. When he returned, he gave me another 'apology rose' and a diamond necklace for missing my birthday. I wore the necklace that night too._

_ I remember looking at the clock every two minutes when I realized that he was over an hour late. Just when I was about to decide that he wasn't coming and I should just give up, the doorbell rang, and there he was. "For you," he said, holding out a white rose. I looked at him in confusion, wondering why it wasn't a red 'apology rose'. "Sorry I'm late," he said, "but there was trouble at home. As soon as I could leave, I went to go buy you a rose, but it turned out there weren't any more red ones left. I guess the one I got you before was the last one," he said, and smiled. _How ironic. _So he reached out, pushed my hair behind my ear and said, "you look better this way," and I blushed. _Was that supposed to be a compliment?

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Miroku stared in shock. "So he hit you?" Kagome nodded. "And lied to you?" She nodded again. "Why did he pull your hair?"

Kagome shrugged. "Maybe because it didn't bruise…I don't know…" she whispered. "He would hit me in the ribs because the bruises there wouldn't show," she said.

"No way…" Inuyasha said, shocked. Kagome nodded in confirmation. "He cheated on you?" Inuyasha asked. "And he said you were… he called you ugly?" he asked incredulously. Kagome nodded. "All the time?"

"He did," she whispered.

"But I don't understand. I mean you're pretty. It makes no sense why he'd…"

"Stop it. He was right. I am ugly."

"But Kagome, I really think…"

"Don't tease me. It's not funny!" she cried.

"Kagome it's not…"

"Do you want to hear the rest of it or not?" she shouted. Inuyasha and Miroku just nodded. Sesshomaru gulped from the next room. _What the hell?_

"So that night, he took me to a party. We were running late, so I didn't get to go put the rose in water, so I took it with me, and stuck it in the front of my shirt. But Koga told me it looked stupid, so I put it in my hair.

"When we were at the party, all kinds of girls were approaching Koga, and right in front of me, asking him to go to a room with him, but he would smile and shake his head, just so he could stay by my side, and he'd put his arm around me when they left, and assure me that I was the only one, and I'd smile.

"He asked me several times to go to a room with him, so we could have 'a little fun together', but each time, I'd turn him down, and he'd get more annoyed each time…"

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Kagome sat on a couch in the dimly lit living room of Arashi's house, sipping a beer that Koga had forced her to drink. It really wasn't to her taste, so she was only pretending to enjoy herself, for Koga's sake. It certainly didn't help that girls were practically throwing themselves at him the whole time, and he wasn't totally innocent of flirting himself. Koga asked her one more time to go to a room with him, and she declined.

"You're such a prude!" he scolded her, tugging on her hair. Kagome flinched. He wouldn't hit her now, in front of all these people, right? Wrong. He struck her in the ribs again, then again on her hip. He started to pull her down the hall, but Kagome panicked, and kicked him in the ankle. "You whore!" he shouted, and shoved her into a nearby wall, pinning her there by her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Koga, I didn't mean to… please don't…" she whimpered.

"Sorry, huh?" he said mockingly. Kagome nodded. "Okay then, prove it," he requested, smirking.

"Prove what… how?" she asked, confused.

"Prove you're sorry and have sex with me. Now," he commanded.

"Here? Now? Koga, I can't," she pleaded.

He laughed. "Not here, idiot. Upstairs. Come on. You'd do it if you loved me," he purred, leaning in to kiss her.

Kagome turned her face away in disgust. "You smell like beer. Cut it out," she said.

"Don't you love me anymore? You told me so before, so why don't we…" he trailed off.

"Koga, I said no! Not now, not ever!" Kagome shouted as he started to press his body against hers.

"Why not?"

"Because I just…"

"You don't love me?" he asked.

"No, I do, it's just… if you loved me, you wouldn't force me into…" she started.

Koga just stared at her, making Kagome flinch. "You're right," he said.

"I am?" she asked, surprised. She couldn't remember the last time he'd said she was right, if ever.

"Yes. Maybe I don't love you. Have fun by yourself, bitch," he said, and letting go of her, turned away and headed back to the drink table.

"Koga, wait! I didn't mean it like that! I love you. Please don't do this to me…I…" she said. Just then, a slender girl with long brown hair made her way over to Koga, staggering drunkenly. Kagome never got a good look at her face, but only her long hair, pulled into a low ponytail hanging midway down her back. Just as Kagome was about to call out to Koga again, the girl wrapped her arms around Koga's neck and kissed him, straight on the lips. What shocked her, or didn't shock her, she never knew which, was when he started to kiss her back.

Kagome was stunned as she watched the two make out by the drink table. When the girl stood on the tips of her toes and whispered something into Koga's ear, Kagome didn't even need to know what the girl had said to know what was going on, judging by the smirk of excitement on Koga's face. She watched them walk right past her, toward the stairs, laughing and holding hands, pausing only to kiss each other in the hallway, right in front of Kagome. She didn't even move until she felt liquid dripping down onto her chest. She felt her face. It was soaked with tears. She wanted to leave, but somehow, she couldn't move her feet toward the door. She wanted to believe that Koga would come back downstairs, without the girl, and apologize to Kagome. No such thing.

She stood there for ten minutes, fifteen minutes. She had no idea the amount of time that had passed until someone came up to talk to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and offering it to Kagome. She looked at him, then the handkerchief, and realized she was still crying. She accepted it graciously and wiped her tears.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"Not a problem," he said cordially. "Crying is most unbefitting for a pretty young lady such as yourself," he said, and smiled smoothly.

"Please," Kagome scoffed bitterly.

"I speak only the truth. You are most beautiful, Miss… I'm sorry I didn't catch your name. Perhaps such a beautiful young woman has an equally beautiful name to match?" he inquired.

Kagome giggled in spite of herself. "Kagome Higurashi. You can call me Kagome," she said. "What's your name?" she asked.

"You can call me Naraku," he said, and smiled. He held out his hand to shake.

Kagome took his hand in hers. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Likewise," he said, and smiled again, which caused Kagome to smile as well, still wiping at her tears. "So I saw what happened. Is that guy your boyfriend?" he asked casually.

"Is, was, I don't know. He just got mad at me because I…" Kagome trailed off.

"Go on," Naraku prompted.

"I guess I'm not good enough for him, so he found someone else… He wanted to go too far with our relationship, and I wasn't ready, I…" Kagome stopped.

"You…" Naraku said.

Kagome laughed bitterly. "Here I am, dumping my problems on you, and I hardly even met you. I'm sorry. Just forget about me and go have fun. This is a party after all," Kagome said, and brought the handkerchief to her eyes once again. "Now look what I've done. I've gone and ruined your perfectly good handkerchief with my mascara. Sorry, I'm ruining your fun. Please just forget about me…" she said.

"Nonsense," Naraku interjected. "I wouldn't be able to enjoy my time here if I knew that you weren't enjoying yourself. Perhaps you'd like to talk about what happened? I'm sure you'll feel better," he suggested.

"Well, okay…" she said, and let him lead her to a nearby couch. She started talking to him, but he interrupted her, saying it was too loud, and she'd have to speak up. "Why don't we go somewhere quieter?" she suggested.

Naraku took her hand and led her to the back door, only to find that the outside was freezing cold and crowded with drunken teenagers. "Well there goes that idea…" he said, and seemed to stop and think. "I know a room no one will use. Why don't we just go to the basement and hang out there?" he suggested. Kagome agreed to go with him, wholeheartedly trusting him to have only the best intentions.

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"What the hell were you thinking? Trusting that son of a bitch?" Inuyasha all but shouted at Kagome.

She looked down. "I don't know. I really thought…" she trailed off.

"Inuyasha will you shut up and let her finish? Don't go making her feel bad now," Miroku scolded.

Sesshomaru hadn't moved from his spot at the desk, and had been reading, or attempting to read the same sentence in the same letter for the last fifteen minutes. He strained to hear the rest of Kagome's story.

"Please continue, Kagome," Miroku requested.

Kagome nodded. "Well, when we first went down there, he suggested that we lock the door at the top of the stairs, for privacy's sake, and I agreed. He led me into a bedroom, and sat me down on the bed, and sat next to me, after he locked that door too. He then asked me to start talking, so I started to tell him what had been going on between Koga and I. After a few minutes, he started to act strange…"

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Naraku removed his shirt while Kagome talked, slowly inching closer to her. "Uhh… what are you doing?" she asked uncomfortably.

"Is it hot in here, or is it just you?" he asked smoothly.

"I… Uhh…Naraku, I don't think this is appropriate…" Kagome stuttered as he moved closer to her.

"Yeah, I think it's me too…" he said, and closing the gap between them, firmly planted his lips over her own, pushing her onto her back and smothering her with his body weight. He pushed his knees between hers and pushed her legs apart, so his body was between her thighs. With one hand, he held her flailing arms above her head, and the other, he pushed her dress up past her belly button, and eased off her panties, smirking as she tried to fight him off, but she was too weak.

He unzipped his pants and stopped kissing her, then leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You're going to love this…" he said. Kagome started to scream bloody murder. He wrapped his fingers tightly around her throat. "Stop that racket immediately. You don't want me to make this hurt anymore than it already will. I will not hesitate to make you bleed," he threatened, and as he pulled his hand away from her throat, he broke the chain on the necklace Koga had given her. And with that, Kagome was quiet, and her body shook with sobs as Naraku had his way with her.

He only released her when he was too tired to do anymore, and once she was able to slide out from under his body, she leapt up and staggered to the door, and after sloppily dressing herself, ran out of the room, and up the stairs, crying. She ran into someone on the way out, though. The last person she wanted to see. Koga. It was then that she realized she'd lost the white rose, on the dirty floor of the basement, along with the necklace that had once meant so much to her.

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**Author's Note: **Holy crap. That was really, really quick. I wrote this one in one day. Don't worry; I'll finish this segment in the next chapter, as a "Part Two" or something like that. I hope this one is better than the last.

** Reviewers:** As always, your comments are very much appreciated, and I'm always glad to hear from everyone, whether they're new or old. Also, if you don't have an account and can't put me on author alert, feel free to leave an email address and I'll be happy to notify you when the next chapter is out. Later!

Also, I find it so strange that everyone seemed to like the last chapter; some liked it more than the previous ones. I guess maybe I'm a bit over-critical of my work, but then I guess that's the way an author should be, right?

**Saturngurl123: **We'll find out soon what Sesshomaru thinks of Kagome! Thanks for the reassuring words, but I still was annoyed with the last chapter. I hope this one was better than the last.

**Aqua Miko: **Thanks for the kind words! I'm so happy you think so. You really actually liked last chapter? How strange. Updates might come quicker for a short amount of time, because I have an idea of what I want to do with this story for now.

**Hanoi: **Yes! I am SO getting somewhere! Lol. Thank you, you're just too kind.

**Gin: **Thanks for the compliment! I was hoping to have an organized story, I always have to go back and read my last chapters to make sure there are no plot holes. And I hate doing that, because I find little errors and agonize over them.

**Toots: **Hey-a Toots! Sorry I've wanted to say that, and you just gave me the opportunity… lol. Anyway, I never intended to delete these chapters, unless I got a pile of hate mail saying mean things about it. Thanks for the compliments, and here's the update!

**Nightowl: **I personally enjoy stories that have a different portrayal of the characters, while making an attempt to keep them in character, if you know what I mean. Which is why I tried to write one, so anyway, thanks.

**Harukichideimos: **Such a hard name to spell… what's it supposed to mean? And what did this "your story seem so long bad so good" mean? I got so confused! Other than that, thanks for the compliments and I'm so happy to have inspired someone!

**Phalon22: **Here's the next chapter! I was hoping for something interesting, so thanks. I update pretty regularly, usually within 1 - 2 weeks (I know two weeks is rather long…) so remember to keep checking back!

**Kimonolover:** Uhh… should I be afraid? I read your review like 6 times before I actually realized it wasn't really a death threat… Was that last chapter really that bad of an ending…?

**Lady Desdemona: **Yep, as always, you're the last one to review a chapter. I wanted to wait longer for this chapter, however I find that I must keep my previous promise… maybe I'll say two days after you review from now on… dang now I have to go write chapter 6. As always, thanks fro the review, and I'll see you all next time!

**Final Note: **Please tell me what you think, and remember to leave your email if you want a notice about the next chapter. Or leave me any questions, comments, advice in a review! Thanks!


	6. An End to A Beginning

**Author's Note: ** Arrgghhh! I nearly had a heart attack, because it went for like a week and a half and I got like… 2 reviews. I thought everyone hated the last chapter! But it turned out that it just took everyone a while to see that it was up, soo…. Yeah. Leave me your email address if you'd like me to notify you. I won't bite, I swear! Well not _too_ hard anyway… hehehe.

**Disclaimer: **As if.

**Chapter 6: The End of the Beginning**

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_I didn't know what to do. There I was, standing face-to-face with the guy I'd just betrayed the most, through my own ignorance. I couldn't believe that one girl could be so stupid, so ridiculously ignorant to the world around her. And that girl was me. For once, I found myself to be actually relieved at Koga's drunken state. For his senses were dulled, as well as his intellect. He couldn't tell that I was totally afraid, freaking out. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I looked behind him and saw a girl with long brown hair, probably the same one from earlier, but before I got that chance to really look at her, my attention was back on Koga._

"Hey babe, ready ta go?" he asked casually, but drunkenly. He swung his arm over Kagome's shoulder, much to his companion's dismay, as she cleared her throat in annoyance. "Oh yeah. It was nice hangin wit ya, buddy," he said, clamping his hand down on the girl's shoulder. He chatted with her for a moment, and when Kagome went to get a good look at her, all she got was a demonic glare in return, so Kagome quickly averted her gaze and paid no attention. She found it difficult to concentrate at the time, and act natural, so she kept squirming.

Eventually, they made their way to the door. Well, staggered is more like it. Kagome practically had to drag Koga to the door, as he was too drunk to really be able to walk by himself. When they finally reached the porch, Kagome noticed that it was beginning to rain. As they reached Koga's car, he reached into his pocket for his car keys, and fumbled to jam them into the lock. Kagome finally spoke up after he wrested with the keys for another 45 seconds. She put her hand over his and forced a smile. "Koga, honey, let me drive. You're too drunk," she suggested kindly.

"No, no. I'm good. I only had a few… only had a few… a few cases and…" he said, still fumbling with the lock when his keys slipped from his hands. "And I'd never let…never let a woman…" he said as he bent over to grab his keys. "Never let a woman…" _smack_. He hit his head on the drivers' side door. "Drive…" he said, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe… maybe only just this once, okay?" he slurred.

"Of course," she said as she retrieved the keys from the curb and then helped Koga into his seat. As she reached for his seatbelt to buckle him in, he finally noticed how much she was trembling, partly from the cold rain, but mostly from nerves.

He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. "You're trembling," he said, turning to stare at her hand. He looked into her eyes, unfocused. "Why?" he asked. Kagome froze, and started to lose the color in her face. She became even colder than before, but she didn't really notice. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

Kagome tried to speak, to deny any problems, but her voice was caught in her throat. "Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "You must be cold," he said, with a wave of his hand. "You never wear enough clothes to keep you warm at night. It makes you look like a whore," he said carelessly.

Kagome could feel her eyes start to water. "You should be more careful, so guys don't get the wrong idea about you. I mean you're such a prude, who'd want anything to do with you anyway, right? Haha. Oh well. But you should listen to what I say. You know I'm always right." Kagome swallowed a lump in her throat, trying to do everything she could to keep from breaking down right then and crying.

"What are you doing?" Koga barked. "Don't start crying. You'll embarrass me. Just get in the car and let's go," he prompted. Kagome nodded and walked to the drivers' side, trembling more than ever as she tried to put the key in the ignition. Finally, she got the car started, and pulled away from Arashi's curb.

Kagome drove at an even, but somewhat quick pace, clutching the wheel with such ferocity that her knuckles nearly matched the white interior of the car. She glanced down at her feet and noticed that she had tracked mud in from her shoes. Koga was going to kill her.

She took a deep breath and willed herself to keep driving, even though it seemed that it had been an eternity since she first pulled away from Arashi's house. They rode in silence a bit longer, when Kagome finally decided to reach over and turn on the radio. She just couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Turn that shit off. I've got a headache," Koga said, massaging his temples. But Kagome didn't hear him. She continued to stare straight ahead. "Kagome, can't you listen?" Koga barked irritatedly. Kagome still wasn't listening. "Damn it, Kagome! Pull over! Right now!" he yelled. Kagome snapped to attention, and pulled over to the curb.

"What the hell is your problem? Your driving is shit, you haven't said a word, and now you're ignoring me. Explain yourself. Now," he demanded.

Kagome shook her head. "It's nothing, Koga. I'm sorry," she said softly.

"If it's nothing, then quit acting like a freak, and turn around. You passed my house five miles ago," he said, annoyed.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't feel like it. Now move," he commanded. Kagome nodded and they were on their way again, in the right direction this time.

When they finally reached Koga's house, Kagome followed him inside quietly. He'd told her that he would take her home in a few hours, when he felt better. "I think I'll just get home on my own, Koga, if you don't mind," Kagome suggested.

"It's too cold outside. You shouldn't be walking in the rain dressed like that," he told her, dismissing her previous suggestion. Kagome agreed with him, and went to go sit on the couch. Koga sat next to her and pulled her onto his lap so that she was leaning halfway across his body. He gently ran his fingers through her tangled hair and spoke softly to her. "I hope you're not upset with me. I lose my temper sometimes. You know I didn't mean it," he said.

Kagome nodded. "I know. You'd never hurt me," she whispered.

Koga chuckled. "I've trained you well," he joked, smirking. He then leaned down to pull her in for a kiss, but Kagome turned the other way. Koga pulled away, surprised. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. "It's nothing at all. I just wasn't ready," she explained.

"I understand," Koga said, even though they both knew he never would. He leaned in to kiss her again, and this time, Kagome stayed still. Not kissing him back, but not fighting him off, either. Images of the incident that happened only a few hours earlier flashed in her mind as Koga deepened the kiss, and then picked her up, bridal style, and carried her upstairs into his room. He closed the door behind him, and then laid her down on his bed, and got on top of her.

Kagome, by this time, was ready to cry. She had been violated in the worst kind of way tonight, and now her boyfriend was not only misunderstanding the situation, but also was about to commit the same crime. She pushed him away when his hand slid under her dress. "No, wait, Koga," she said. She slid out from under him and stood by the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, but I just can't…" she said as she turned away.

She walked toward the door, but stopped when Koga spoke to her. "Why?" he asked.

Kagome turned to face her boyfriend. Could she be honest with him? Could she tell him the truth? No. He'd never understand. Nobody would. "…I don't know…" she said hesitantly.

"It was like this the last time, Kagome. Last time, I understood because you said you didn't want anyone walking in on us. And at the party, even though I was mad, I thought I understood that it was for the same reason. But why not now? Nobody's home…" he said. "Don't you love me Kagome?"

"I do, Koga, I do love you, I just can't right now. I'm sorry," she said, tearing her gaze from his eyes, but still facing him. Koga stood up and walked past her. "Koga…" she said pleadingly.

"Forget it. I'm going to go think in the shower," he said, and left her alone in his room. Kagome sat down on his bed and held her face in her hands, and did what she'd been wanting to do for the past few hours: she cried. She cried like a little girl until she heard the shower turn off. She did her best to compose herself before Koga returned, but to no avail.

"Kagome, why are you crying?" he asked, then sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "What's wrong? You can tell me," he said.

_No, I can't_. "I'm… I'm going home, Koga," she said, then stood up and walked to the door.

"Kagome… Kagome, wait!" Koga called. But Kagome did no such thing. She reached for the doorknob, and had the door slightly opened when Koga came up behind her and slammed the door shut.

"Koga?" she exclaimed, surprised. He grabbed her roughly by the wrist and pulled her closer to him.

"Do I really mean so little to you?" he yelled, then dragged her across the room and threw her on his bed. He climbed on top of her and held her wrists to the bed. "I'm not letting you go," he hissed. "If you want to leave so badly, then break up with me first!" he shouted.

Kagome looked away from him, and bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood. "Kagome, look at me," Koga said softly from above her. "Really, you mean so much to me," he told her. "Please believe me," he said. He leaned down to kiss her again, and this time Kagome didn't fight it at all. When he slipped his hands under her dress again, she froze, and held her arms at her sides, staring up at the ceiling in fear.

She didn't even realize that she was crying until Koga stopped and looked at her. He pulled away, and then lay on his side, facing the wall. "Koga?" she said softly.

"Forget it," he said, pulling himself up into a sitting position on the bed, still facing away from Kagome. "When you act like that, I can't make love to you," he said angrily. "So take your things, get dressed, and just go."

"Koga, I'm sorry…" Kagome whispered.

"**Just go! Get out of my house and go wherever you want! I don't care anymore!**" he shouted. Kagome apologized one more time, straightened her clothes, and went downstairs. She put her shoes on and left, walking down the street to the nearest train station. She finally got home, and took a shower. But no matter the duration, nor the temperature, she couldn't manage to get the dirty feeling from her body. She cried more than she ever had in her life.

She decided she'd been in there for too long, and didn't want her parents to suspect anything, so she washed her hair, and then picked up her razor to shave her legs. But she slipped, and made a large cut on the side of her leg, and she watched in fascination as her life liquid went down the drain. It was then that her sick obsession had begun.

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"Did you press charges on Naraku?" Miroku finally asked, after a long moment of silence had passed over the house. Kagome shook her head.

"Why not?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "You just let him get away with it?" he shouted angrily.

"No. After I finally told my mother, a month and a half later, she wanted to, but after she talked it over with my dad, he decided it would be bad for his business, so my father refused to go to court over it," Kagome explained.

"Business? What business? Wait, you mean your father's a lawyer? If he's a lawyer, why would he let it go? And why do you live so far from him? Isn't the Business in Osaka?" Miroku asked incredulously.

"Yes, he's a lawyer. He didn't want to take on the case because he said that my story was self-incriminating and it was my fault for going to a room alone with him anyway. He said it was my fault it happened anyway. My mother, of course, disagreed, and they fought over it for weeks. Finally, they got divorced and my father moved out. A month later, my grandfather died. So that's why my mother, Souta and I are all alone," Kagome explained.

"I see," Miroku said desolately.

"So what made you finally tell your mom? I mean you didn't exactly tell me out of your own free will," Inuyasha asked.

"Well, you see… I thought I was pregnant," Kagome explained. Inuyasha and Miroku's eyes widened. "When I woke up two weeks in a row with what I thought was morning sickness, I thought I'd have to go tell my mom that I was pregnant…"

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Kagome walked into her mother's room dejectedly. "Mom? Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked softly.

Kagome's mom looked up over some paperwork she had been reading over for her husband. "Of course, honey" she said, patting the space next to her on her bed. Kagome sat down next to her and told her the story. Kagome's mom reacted exactly the way she thought she would, with angry sympathy, but soothing words. Then she told her the reason she told her the story.

"Mom, I think I'm pregnant," she said. Kagome's mom nearly fainted at the news. "Please don't be mad at me," she whispered.

"I could never be angry at you for this, Kagome," she said reassuringly. "But we have to make a doctor's appointment as soon as possible," she said, and then reached for the phone book she kept by her bedside table. Kagome was relieved at her mother's kindness. After she set up an appointment for her in a week and a half, they discussed the matter further.

A week later, Koga showed up at Kagome's house unexpectedly. Souta happily let him inside and told him Kagome was in their mother's room, talking. Koga headed down the hallway toward Kagome's mother's room. He was somewhat familiar with the house, as he'd been with Kagome for quite a while, even thought lately they had not been on the best of terms.

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"Mom, I don't know how I'm going to tell him. He'll be so angry with me," Kagome sobbed.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you. He cares for you very much Kagome. He's told you so very many times. He'll understand," Kagome's mom reassured her.

"He'll never understand. How am I going to tell him that I'm pregnant with another man's child? He'll never forgive me!" Kagome cried.

"Kagome, you just have to sit down and talk to him, that's all…" she said reassuringly.

"But Mom, he'll never…" Kagome argued. She was interrupted by her mother's overly- cheerful voice.

"Why hello _Koga_. So nice to see you again. How have you been? How long have you been waiting there?" she asked, smiling.

"I've been doing pretty well, Mrs. Higurashi. To answer your second question, I only just walked in. Am I interrupting anything?" he asked.

"Oh no, nothing at all," she lied. "So what brings you here today?"

"I wanted to take Kagome out. That is, provided she's feeling better. I heard she's had a terrible stomach flu as of late," he responded.

"She's feeling much better, isn't that right, Kagome?"

"Yes. I'm glad you came by, Koga. Where did you want to go?" she asked, putting on a fake smile yet again.

"Just down to the park. I thought some fresh air would do you some good," he said kindly. He took her hand and led her out of the room. "Nice to see you again Mrs. Higurashi!" he called.

They left the house, and walked, hand in hand, to the park about five minutes away in silence. When they finally got there and sat down on a bench, Koga spoke to her. "You disgusting little whore," he hissed. "How could you…"

"What? What are you talking about?" Kagome started.

"You think I'm deaf? You think I didn't hear what you and your mother were talking about? Furthermore, do you think I'm stupid? Did you _really_ think I'd never figure it out? I had my suspicions, but I never thought you were such a cold, calculating bitch! How could you?" he shouted, turning to face her.

Kagome looked at the ground. "It's not like that Koga. You don't understand."

"You're right! I don't understand how you could be so utterly selfish. How could you cheat on me like that? Who the hell was he? Who?" he yelled, grabbing her forcefully by the shoulders and shaking her.

But Kagome still wouldn't look into his eyes. "You don't understand what happened that night…"

"What night? When was it?" he demanded.

"The party, it happened at the party, and his name was Naraku. He took me downstairs after you left me, and then he…" she whispered.

"I don't want to hear it! You whore! How could you lie to me and deceive me like that?"

"You left me Koga! You were the one who was wrong! You were the one who let this happen! If you would have taken care of me like you were supposed to, we wouldn't be here…" she shouted, only to be cut off by the painful sting of Koga's hand meeting her face.

"Don't you blame this shit on me. This is entirely your fault. I didn't send you downstairs with him. If you had been the girlfriend you were supposed to be, and just come upstairs with me, it would be my child you were having! Not some stranger from some stupid party!"

"But Koga, you don't understand, please…" she begged as he stood up to leave. She grabbed his arm. "Please don't leave me. I love you, Koga. I need you right now."

He tore his arm from her grasp. "Yeah? Well I never loved you, you stupid whore. You dug your grave, now lie in it," he said, and walked off. Kagome could only sit and stare as she watched the one guy she'd ever loved walk away from her.

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"So that's the end of the story. I never pressed charges, and no matter how hard I tried, Koga never forgave me. And he still doesn't know, to this day that I was raped. I didn't mean for it to end up this way," she said, sobbing.

Inuyasha wrapped a comforting arm around her, and Kagome leaned into his embrace. "It's okay, Kagome, you'll be happier without him, I promise. You have me now. I'll take care of you," he said.

"And you can't forget about me," Miroku offered.

"Thanks, guys," Kagome said, and wiped her eyes. After a few minutes, she composed herself and sat upright.

"So what ever happened to the baby?" Miroku finally asked.

Kagome shook her head. "There was no baby. I was mistaken. It turned out I had a stress- related ulcer in my stomach, and that's what was making me sick," she explained. Miroku and Inuyasha nodded in understanding, and from the next room, Sesshomaru rubbed his stiff neck, for he had been leaning toward the wall for far too long trying to hear the story.

He shook his head, and wondered why he even bothered to care. This was not his business, nor was it any of his concern. Even if it did involve a certain friend of his, he figured it was none of his concern what he chose to do behind closed doors.

"Hey!" Miroku suddenly blurted out, causing Kagome, Inuyasha, and even Sesshomaru to jump slightly. "I know the best way to forget about all of this!" he suggested light-heartedly.

Sesshomaru clenched his fists. _Anything but that. I do** not** want to become involved._

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**Author's Note: **Wow this took a really long time to write. I hand wrote the first page and a half, and that took me like three days. Then after that, as I tried to type the rest, I kept just stopping in the middle of what I was writing, and then I would get confused, have no idea what to say next, and then I'd go back and delete some, and then rewrite it. I was getting so frustrated!

**Aqua Miko: **I keep getting so confused when I'm writing, and I keep having to go back and reread previous chapters to make sure that my story doesn't conflict itself. I have ideas about events I want to put in the future, but I keep messing up. So sorry I took so long to update this chapter.

**Phalon22: **Maybe, maybe not. He's not exactly interested in Kagome enough to be involved… maybe he will, maybe he won't! Read to find out!

**Kyoko Super Girl: **No way. I love Sango. It's just convenient to have her as one of the antagonists right now.

**KIGirls: **What do you think? Sesshomaru/Kagome or Inuyasha/ Kagome? I have a pretty good idea of what I want it to be, but I'd also like to know what my reviewers think…I also like Kagome the way she is, but she doesn't right now. It's one of the conflicts she's being forced to deal with. Also, don't worry about your spelling. It's hard to type without making errors. And with no spell check to be sure, well… everyone makes mistakes! I'm just glad to hear from you!

**DrkMiko: ** Thanks for the encouragement! I'll try to update more often, even though I'm still fighting off my writer's block!

**Caramelcutie567: **Men are pigs…I agree. I can honestly say that I've known my fair share of ridiculous guys. This story is mostly inspired by my own experiences, or the experiences of friends, plus a little, okay _a lot_ of extra drama. Some of the stuff Kagome's dealt with I've never had to deal with myself (the whole rape thing). But I do know what it's like to be forced into things, and I wanted to make it so that readers could understand as well. I'm glad you think this is so good.

**Kimonolover: ** Yes well. Just imagine how dense _most_ teenage girls are when it comes to matters of the heart. I made Koga say that so that I might help the readers understand the difference, and therefore understand the characters in my story better. I don't mind angry reviews, mostly. I didn't find it offensive. I know that the ending was a bit… abrupt… lol.

**Lady Desdemona:** Oh no! You weren't the last reviewer! It's cool though, haha. I just took forever writing this chapter, because I didn't get reviews as quickly as usual, so I didn't start immediately like I usually do. Also, I had no idea how I wanted to break Kagome and Koga up, and how I wanted Kagome to tell the story. But I've gotten it all figured out now! (Obviously…)

**Duzzie: ** I agree. A Sess/ Kag fic would be nice. But I'm not quite sure yet. I mean Inuyasha's doing pretty good as the 'knight in shining armor'. What do you think? I'd like to know what my reviewers want to see done, even though I have an idea of what I want to do.

**Final Note: **I want to dedicate this to a good friend of mine who passed away two years ago in an accident, February 9, 2003. I'd like to dedicate a happier chapter, but this is what I have right now, so rather than dedicating the actual chapter, I'm dedicating the effort I put into it.


	7. Conflict

**Author's Note: **I heard somewhere, as advice, if you are writing, to not read any other work, especially not recent works. But I want so badly to read something good! But them I'm afraid that I would rip someone else off by accident. And whenever I'm writing, I sit there and think… 'Oh my gosh'… have I heard this before? Or I have to go back and read chapters from before, to make sure I don't contradict myself. And then I see little details in there that I want to change, or misspelled words, and I want to change them, but I can't without removing the reviews… arrgghh it makes me so mad! Anyway, I'd better go before this turns into a chapter by itself… haha.

**Disclaimer:** I claims red.

**Chapter 7: Conflict**

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"I have a great idea to make you feel better!" Miroku suggested excitedly.

"Miroku, it's not going to go away…" Kagome trailed off.

"I know, but it will be good for you! A party!" he said.

Inuyasha took this opportunity to hit Miroku in the back of the head. "Were you not even listening you idiot? Do you _want_ to traumatize her for life?" Inuyasha chastised him.

"No, you see, this one will be different!"

"Different how?" Inuyasha demanded. _Do explain_, Sesshomaru thought to himself, somewhat amused. He was interested in seeing how Miroku intended to try and 'solve' this problem.

"You know, the one uhh… two Saturdays from now?" Miroku said thoughtfully.

"What are you…" Inuyasha started. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed his features. "Oh!" he cried suddenly. "I don't know… I mean I don't even want to go… what makes you think she will?"

Miroku waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, she'll love it. You know you have to go anyway, why not take her along as well?" he suggested.

"Uhh… can you guys stop talking as if I'm not even here?" Kagome interrupted.

"Oh, right. So there's going to be a party, two Saturdays from now, and today's Sunday, so… that's plenty of time in advance. You're going," Miroku decided.

"No… I don't know about that. My mom… plus, it's a party… I don't think I can. I really don't know that I can deal with this right now…" Kagome trailed off.

"Nonsense!" Miroku laughed. "This time, you have three! Count 'em, three gorgeous, well-loved, strong and powerful men to protect you!" Miroku said.

"Three?" Kagome asked. _Three? _Sesshomaru questioned himself. _Somehow, it seems as if nothing good will come of this…_

"Three? There's only me, you, and who's…?" Inuyasha stopped before he finished, and a mischievous look of realization danced across his eyes.

"Sesshomaru!" they both said at the same time.

_No matter the circumstances, I refuse to participate. I refuse to become someone else's bodyguard._

"The problem is, how do we get him to come?" Miroku asked, more to himself than anyone else in the room.

"Oh, he will. He doesn't really have a choice," Inuyasha said, and smirked.

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: Meanwhile, at Koga's house…:

Koga and Sango were working on their project rather diligently. Well, at least Koga was. Sango was too distracted with other thoughts. _Well, Arashi couldn't make it today, so maybe Koga and I…_ She stood and walked over to his place where he sat on his bed, scribbling notes down from the text he was focused on. She sat close to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Koga, we're alone… what do you say we…" she whispered suggestively.

Koga raised his eyebrows when she leaned in and kissed him aggressively. She got on top of him and deepened the kiss, and all the while, Koga just went along with it. When things started to go a little further, Koga pushed Sango off of him. "I don't want to do this. I told you so before," he said.

"Why, Koga?" she asked him, hurt.

"I just don't like you that way, Sango. I never have."

"But you used to always tell me so… how could you forget so soon?" she asked. He didn't respond. "You don't remember? It was back before you and Kagome were together. And we were together up until a few months ago…" she said softly. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened. I just don't want to do this anymore, Sango."

"Why not?" she asked. Koga looked away. "It's… it's Kagome, isn't it… you still love her, don't you…?" she cried.

For a moment, Koga hesitated. He opened his mouth to speak, but then swiftly shut it again. But that was enough of an answer for her. Sango started to pick up her things and deposit them into her bag. "Sango, where are you…?"

"I just remembered that I forgot to do something…" she said, turning her back on Koga. "Goodbye," she whispered, and with that, she left his room, and then stepped outside into the harsh sunlight, shielding her watering eyes. She wiped a few tears from her cheek, and made her way to the train station.

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Sesshomaru looked over the papers lying on his desk once more, when he noticed an unopened letter, addressed to him. He glanced at the return address. _Taisho Industries, Kyoto._ His father's business. He opened and read the letter unenthusiastically. It was an invitation to an upcoming formal social event. Sesshomaru knew what that meant. This wasn't merely an invitation for him; it was a death threat in a white envelope. Show up to this party, or die, the letter seemed to say. The last time he 'forgot' about such an event, his father was… less than pleased, to say the very least.

He sighed inwardly and reorganized the office desk before retreating to his room in order to finish a school paper. He sat down and plugged in his laptop, and as he waited for it to start up, he heard Inuyasha's friends leave through the front door. He couldn't help but think about Kagome as he heard her say goodbye to Inuyasha. He sighed again in frustration. Inuyasha and his friends always proved to be quite troublesome. He glanced at his computer screen, and, seeing that it was ready, he typed in a password, then went to work on his essay.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha barged into his room, without knocking, as usual. "Are you allergic to manners?" Sesshomaru said stoically.

"Hey Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha said, dramatically cheerful, and ignoring Sesshomaru's previous remark.

"No," he said, and looked back at his computer screen as he continued to type.

"What?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"I said no. Now leave," he said, not taking his eyes from the computer screen.

"But I haven't even asked you anything yet," he protested.

"You came in here to ask me a favor. And I am saying no. Leave before I make you."

"You remember that you still owe me from that time when that girl Yura…" he trailed off.

"Fine. I'll humor you. What is it that you came for?" he asked, and stopped his typing for a moment.

Inuyasha smirked and leaned against the wall across the room. It was great to have blackmail on your siblings…

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The next day, Miroku walked into history class laughing and carrying on with a girl from their class. But that's not what surprised Kagome; it was the fact that the girl was Sango, and the fact that Sango was actually civil to her when she greeted her. But that was only due to the fact that Miroku was around.

Kagome rested her chin in her hands with her elbows on her desk and half- listened to Miroku and Sango's conversation. "So Sango, would you like to go with us to a party the Saturday after next?" Miroku asked.

"Well I don't know… what kind of party…?" she asked suspiciously.

"Remember the one I took you to last year out in Kyoto?" Miroku asked.

Sango looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Hey I remember that! Sure! I'd love to go! On one condition…"

"What would that be, love?" Miroku asked.

"One, don't call me that. Two, keep your lecherous hands where they belong, and that's not on me. Got it?" she said threateningly.

"You would accuse your friend of being a pervert?" Miroku laughed. Sango rolled her eyes just as the bell rang for class to begin. Kagome grabbed the fabric of her skirt, clenching it tightly in her fists. _Sango would be there?_ She didn't know how to take that. Her thoughts were interrupted as class began. She pulled out her notebook and a pencil, and proceeded to take notes on the day's lecture.

At the end of class, the teacher announced that there would be more group projects, with the same groups again. And Kagome was surprised when she found herself excited to go to Inuyasha's house every day after school just a little bit longer.

Later, at Inuyasha's house, the subject of this mysterious party was brought up again in conversation. "So what exactly is this party you guys are dragging me along to anyway?" Kagome asked. Even though Kagome was nervous, she was also excited. It was the first time she would be going to a party with her friends, and not her controlling boyfriend.

"Oh it's no big deal, but every year…" Inuyasha started, just as the phone rang. "Hey Sesshomaru!" he called. "Sesshomaru get the phone!" he shouted. "Damn it," he growled under his breath. He walked out of his room and into the office next door.

Kagome and Miroku just looked at each other as he huffed out of the room and picked up the receiver. Then, at the same time, they both jumped over to the wall and pressed their ears against it in an attempt to eavesdrop on his conversation. "Hello?" he growled. Suddenly, his tone softened. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you… what? You are? Oh… No! It's not like that! What? Of course not! I'm just surprised that you called… no… of course I'm happy to hear from you again… oh you did? Yeah, I'm going… yeah… of course…yeah, I'd be happy to have you along. What? Yeah, okay… well I have to go now, I've got company… okay… alright then, bye."

When they heard the click of the receiver, Miroku and Kagome scrambled back to their places to try and 'act natural'. "Who was that, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked casually, although he already had an idea. He just wanted to force it out of him.

Inuyasha barely blinked, he looked so stunned. "What? Oh. It was no one important. Just a… a friend of mine who just got out of the hospital," he explained.

"What happened? Was he in there for a long time?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah. She got in an accident a while ago while on vacation, so it's been a while since we've seen each other."

"Oh a girl? That's so sad. The accident must have been pretty bad…" Kagome said.

"Yeah it was… It's been a while since… my friend and I have seen each other," Inuyasha said blankly. Miroku stared at Inuyasha, and wondered why he was acting so strangely.

Kagome chose that moment to check her watch. "Oh man, I'm sorry. I have to go now, my mom said she wanted me home early," she said, and stood to leave.

"Would you like me to go with you, Kagome?" Inuyasha offered, already on his feet.

"No, it's okay. I'll be just fine," Kagome declined.

"At least let me walk you to the train station…" he said.

"Well, I guess. But you really don't have to…" she said.

"I'll come too," Miroku offered. But then, judging by the look on Inuyasha's face, he was clearly uninvited in this little excursion. "You know what? You guys just go ahead. I think I'll take the time to have a nice conversation with Sesshomaru while you two are out…" he said sarcastically, but Kagome and Inuyasha paid no attention to it anyway.

"All right, see you tomorrow then, Miroku," Kagome said. And with that, the two were off.

Miroku sighed as they left. He was definitely going to have a talk with Inuyasha when he returned. But for now, he was hungry. He walked into the kitchen and ran into Sesshomaru, who was currently boiling a pot of ramen. "Hey, Sesshomaru. You want to make me a bowl while you're at it?" he asked.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "You want to stop freeloading off of Inuyasha and I and eat your own food for once?" he suggested.

"Why the hostility?" Miroku laughed. "Come on, we're practically brothers and you know it."

"No, we are not," he replied coolly. "Do not associate yourself with me in such a manner."

Miroku rolled his eyes. Sometimes this guy could go a little overboard with the whole stone-faced killer kind of personality.

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When the day came for the party, Kagome got dressed and went down to the train station to get to Inuyasha's house. Inuyasha had told her that the party would start at seven. She checked her watch, and it was only three, but he told her to get there early, since the party was all the way in Kyoto, and there would be things they'd have to go over before they left.

She arrived on his front door step, took a deep breath, and knocked gingerly on his door. She smoothed her clothes one last time and ran her fingers through her hair, hoping that she would look okay. She smiled when Inuyasha opened the door, but her face fell at the disdainful look he gave her. He opened the door and let her in, then closed the door behind him. "What the hell are you wearing?" he asked. "I hope you have a change of clothes."

Kagome frowned. "What's wrong with what I have on?"

"You can't wear jeans to this kind of party!" Sango said condescendingly from the other room as she walked out into the hallway.

Kagome looked at Sango. "But _you're_ wearing jeans…" she started.

"_I_ have a change of clothes. Didn't anyone tell you this would be a formal party?" she asked incredulously.

"Formal… party…?"

"Inuyasha! You didn't tell her?" she shouted. Inuyasha just looked at her.

"I thought she knew…?"

"How was I supposed to know? You guys never told me anything!" Kagome yelled, totally frustrated. _How embarrassing!_

"It's a party in _Kyoto_. Of course it's not going to be something you can go looking like that," Sango said.

"I still don't understand," Kagome responded.

"It's for my father's business. There's one every year. It's the kind of party that you have to go dressed formally, and with a date. Sorry I forgot to tell you," Inuyasha explained.

"So what now? I don't even have a dress, and I don't have time to go buy one," Kagome said exasperatedly. "Maybe you guys should just go without me."

"No, we can't! If you didn't go, then the numbers wouldn't work out," Inuyasha said.

_Numbers? Wait a minute… am I going as Inuyasha's date? _Kagome blushed slightly at the thought of this. "So what do we do?"

Sango walked up and lead Kagome to the door. "Come on, I don't live far from here. We'll just run over to my house, get you a dress, and come back here to get ready, okay?" she said. "We'll be back in about 20 minutes, okay?" Sango called. And with that, they were out on the street, walking in the opposite direction of the train station.

"Thanks for this, Sango. It's really nice of you to help me out like this," Kagome said meekly.

Sango just looked at her out of the corner of her eye as they quickly strode down the street. She hesitated to answer, as she looked both ways before they crossed the street. When they reached the other side, she finally responded. "I hope you understand that I'm not doing this for your sake, but for mine. I want to be with Miroku, and I can't have him thinking the wrong things about me. I still don't like you, you know."

Kagome nodded, and they walked in silence for a minute. "Why not?" she finally asked. Sango didn't respond to her. "Does it have to do with Koga? Sango, if you like him, then…"

"I don't like him, so don't bring him up. I just don't like you," she spat.

"But there has to be a reason. Is there anything I can do to change your mind about me?" Kagome asked.

"Why do you care so much?"

"I don't know… it's like… even though all you do is say how much you hate me, and even though you've been so cruel to me, I can't help but think you're really not a bad person. I just get this feeling that we were meant to be friends, you know?" Kagome said. When Sango didn't answer, she shook her head. "Never mind, I know how stupid that sounds." Sango stopped walking, and Kagome stopped to look at her. "Sango?"

"I'm sorry," she said.

"What?"

"I never bothered to get to know you before I said all of those terrible things," she said. "And about what you said before, you're welcome. Even though I still think you're an idiot," she said, and then began walking up the driveway of a somewhat large house.

"Sango?"

"I live here. Let's go in. We don't have too much time," she said, looking at her watch. They were supposed to leave by five, and it was already three-thirty. They went into Sango's house, and she grabbed a few dressed from her closet, then held them up, one by one, to Kagome's body. Finally, she chose about five and slung them over her shoulder. "Let's go. You can get dressed at Inuyasha's house," she said, and then grabbed a bag and stuffed some hair and makeup supplies, along with a few pairs of high heels, and thrust them at Kagome. "Carry these."

When they arrived at Inuyasha's house, they both headed straight upstairs to a large bathroom. Kagome was surprised. She'd been to Inuyasha's house a lot, but never saw much of the upstairs, except for Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's rooms. Sango dressed herself, then went to help Kagome with her hair and makeup, since she assumed the girl didn't know how to handle it anymore.

After trying on all five dresses, and 45 minutes of Sango pulling at her hair, and dabbing at her face with makeup, Kagome was ready. She looked at herself in the mirror and could hardly recognize herself. "Wow," she said, reaching to touch the mirror. "It doesn't even look like me."

"Yeah it does, you just don't look all dirty and unkempt like you usually do. Why is it that you don't take care of yourself anymore anyway?" Sango asked.

Kagome shook her head. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you one day."

Sango was about to respond when they heard Inuyasha calling to them from downstairs, telling them to hurry up. "Come on," Sango said, and pulled her out of the bathroom and to the top of the stairs. "We're ready now," Sango said. Miroku and Inuyasha turned to look.

For a moment, they were all silent. Kagome fidgeted in her dress while Inuyasha just stared at her. She was clad in an all blue sleeveless dress, where the top went halfway up her neck. The dress went down to about mid-calf with slits up both sides to mid-thigh. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft curls and she pushed some of it behind her ear uncomfortably, waiting for Inuyasha's input. That was the only thing that mattered to her.

Sango wore a black dress in almost the same style, but with pink outlines on it. She stood seemingly carelessly at the top of the stairs, but truthfully, she was almost as nervous as Kagome was. Finally, it was Miroku who spoke first. "Sango, my darling you look wonderful!" he said, smiling. Miroku wore black slacks with a blue dress shirt and a black tie. Sango smiled at the compliment, and they all looked at Inuyasha expectantly. But he stood still and said nothing. "Kagome, you look beautiful as well," Miroku said, then glanced at Inuyasha, expecting him to say something.

Inuyasha gulped, then opened his mouth to speak, and closed it again. "You look… you look like… like Kikyo…" was all he could manage to say.

Kagome frowned. _Is that a good thing?_ "Kikyo? Who's she?" she asked. Inuyasha was spared from answering, as the doorbell rang.

Inuyasha quickly strode to the front door, which was invisible from where Kagome stood. She heard a soft, feminine voice. "Inuyasha. I'm so happy to see you again…" she said.

Inuyasha returned to his previous spot, with a forced smile upon his face. Kagome looked between him and the girl… no, the woman, who stood beside him. She stood there in an elegant red dress, her hair pinned up halfway, while the other half spilled over her slender shoulders. She was pale, even paler than Kagome, and although Kagome felt almost as though she were looking into a mirror, she also felt that there was no competition between her and this woman standing next to Inuyasha, clasping his hand in hers… she clenched her fists and forced a kind smile on her face.

"Kagome, this is Kikyo. My girlfriend."

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**Author's Note:** Was this a long chapter? Because it really felt like it was. Meh. That took me forever! So how did you guys like this chapter? Does it make you want to read the next one? Anyway, I spent like forever trying to figure out how to get past the like second page. It's like… I know what I want to happen later on in the story, I just have trouble with the events leading up to it, and trying to make it not seem all lame and generic, you know? Anyway, I'd like to respond to my reviewers now that I have the chance.

**Phalon22:** Thanks! And here's the next update. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Lil mutt face grl: **Yay! A loyal reader! Thanks a bunch for all the compliments, though I don't know this story is worthy of being anyone's _favorite_. But I'm glad you're enjoying it. Things like that really mean a lot to me, so thanks! And I love hearing from new people, and I don't mind misspelled words, as long as I can figure out what they mean… haha.

**Kathlene: **Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it as well. I'll continue to make more chapters as long as there's people like you who are enjoying my work, so thanks!

**Animeotakufreak: **Thanks, and here's the update!

**Kimonolover: **You know what? I'm thinking of making like horrible cliffhangers, just to make you angry. It's so entertaining getting reviews from you! Haha.

**Broken Lavender: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked last chapter. And about the Sess/ Kag story… hmm… I'm still making up my mind, but I am leaning more toward one than the other… can you guess who?

**Gin: **Glad you're enjoying this so much. But be prepared for plot holes, and or plot errors, because I'm sure I've made some. Or I'll go back and read chapters before and realize that there are small details that I want to change. Of course they're not major yet, and probably no one notices them, but me. I still agonize over a mistake I made in the first chapter. But I can't fix it without like deleting all the reviews. I just hope everyone reads over it and doesn't see it… Arrrgghh.

**Duzzie: **Miroku's idea isn't turning out the way it seemed in the beginning that it would, huh? Haha, we'll see what happens! I was happy to hear that you would enjoy the story both ways, because it could turn out either way, you know!

**Caramelcutie567: **I hadn't intended on making a real moral for the story, but I suppose maybe some sort of message to the readers. I really want people to understand the real world, which is why I chose to write this sort of genre. I mean I enjoy generic humor and romance as much as the next person, but I'm just more familiar with the 'real' perspective kind of thing.

As far as the guy she'll end up with, you're right! It could be anyone! Even Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's dad! Okay, maybe not… I think it's safe to eliminate him as an option…

And as for the warning issue to my readers, I think that's a great idea. Well that was a long comment… now onto a lighter subject…

**Toots: **While I agree with you, don't you also think that Sesshomaru would be the same way? Even though he's not exactly sensitive, neither is Inuyasha, and I think that Sesshomaru could respect a woman the same, if not better than Inuyasha could.

**Kohaku: **Glad to hear you enjoyed it. And I've gotten more written, and am continuing to write!

**Final Note (suggestion from Caramelcutie567): **_If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted you should contact the right authorities as soon as possible. **Rape, Abuse Incest National Network: 1-800-656-4673.**_


	8. You're Doing it Wrong

**Author's Note: **Oh my gosh, oh my gosh…. I hate this story! . I'll finish it, or at least keep working on it for the time being, but holy crap, I have to write another story to make up for this one being so terrible…. What was I thinking?

By the way, sorry for the like… month's delay… I hope I didn't upset too many people with my taking forever, but, well I've had writer's block with certain segments of this chapter, and plus a series of crises, and well, just a lot of things I've had to deal with. Well I'll save the sob story and get on with the (hopefully) more interesting one…

**: You're Doing it Wrong:**

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Kagome bit the inside of her cheek and forced a smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Kikyo," she said softly.

Kikyo simply nodded. "Likewise, I'm sure," she said sarcastically, but in a tone that only a female would recognize as insincere.

Sango stole a glance at Kagome when she noticed that she was trembling. Her fists were clenched to tightly around the loose fabric of her dress and she was biting her lip so hard, it seemed as if it might bleed if she didn't stop. Suddenly, uncharacteristic of her, Sango felt the need to help. She lightly took hold of Kagome's arm. "Look," she said. "Your hair is already coming undone. Come with me so I can fix it. We'll be done in like five minutes, okay?" she held up her hand to Inuyasha and the others as the two disappeared around the corner.

Sango dragged Kagome into the bathroom and sat her down on the stool she had used earlier while doing her makeup. "What's the matter, Kagome? Do you know her?" Sango asked.

Kagome stared into the mirror. "Know her? She is me…" She whispered, then shook her head. "What I meant was I… didn't… I mean I don't… I thought…. I didn't know he… I mean I thought we…" she stuttered, talking more to her reflection than to Sango at this point.

"You like him, don't you?" she asked. Kagome was silent and took the opportunity to study the heels that Sango had lent her. "Are you crying?" Kagome sat still for a moment, then looked up at Sango.

"I don't cry over boys anymore, Sango. I'm done. I'm finished with it all. I'm just… so tired…" she said, slumping her shoulders forward. Then, after a moment, her whole demeanor changed, and she sat up straight and smiled. Sango reached out to put her hand on Kagome's shoulder and tried to smile back, even though she wore a look of utter confusion on her face. She touched up Kagome's hair, and then they headed back downstairs to wait for whatever they were waiting for, and sat down together on the couch in the front room.

Sango and Kagome chatted idly about nothing in particular for a few minutes when Kikyo walked in, alone, and sat on the couch directly across from Kagome. Kagome smiled politely at Kikyo, and she nodded in response, but said nothing. It wasn't so much that she didn't like Kikyo, after all, it wasn't Kikyo's fault that Inuyasha had happened to meet her first, and liked her better. It was just that something about Kikyo really bothered her and made her really uncomfortable. And it wasn't just that they looked alike, but also the fact that she could feel Kikyo staring at her profile as she turned to talk to Sango really creeped her out.

Then, her sanity was spared as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sesshomaru finally walked in. Kagome's heart stopped. All of the events and conversations that had led up to this moment when rushing through her mind. 'Date', 'the numbers wouldn't match up', 'waiting for Sesshomaru'… she was expected to go… with Sesshomaru…

Not that she had any real objections except that well… he was too good for her, she thought. "Okay, uh… let's go," Inuyasha said awkwardly. "We're already running late."

They all walked outside, where there was a large black limo waiting for them. Kagome, having never ridden in a limo before, was shocked, and she didn't hide it well. Inuyasha smiled at her reaction. "You like it? Wait 'til you see the inside," he said. Kikyo rolled her eyes as Kagome nodded excitedly.

When they got in, Inuyasha sat on the far left, next to the window, with Kikyo to his right, Sango and Miroku in the seat facing running parallel to the side door, and Kagome took the only seat left, next to Sesshomaru, in the seat that faced Kikyo and Inuyasha, and was perpendicular to the door, facing backwards.

The limousine was even more beautiful on the inside. It was dimly lit, which promoted a more romantic atmosphere, with small runner lights on the floor and a few on the walls of the car. There was a small mini bar with champagne glasses and a miniature refrigerator. The whole back seat was very spacious, but Kagome could not help but feel uncomfortable as she was sitting so close to Sesshomaru, and could occasionally feel his leg brush against hers, and in such a situation, she would immediately jerk hers away and apologize.

After hours of idle chitchat, and countless awkward silences, which was whenever Inuyasha and Kikyo's relationship happened to be brought up, they finally arrived in Kyoto. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, being the closest to the door, were the first to exit, followed by Miroku, who gently took a hold of Sango's hand to help her out of the car. Inuyasha clumsily followed suit with Kikyo, but when he mechanically turned to do the same for Kagome's hand, Sesshomaru stepped in front of him and gave him a cold look. Inuyasha's hand instantly recoiled, and turned to put his arm around Kikyo.

Kagome's face fell slightly as this sight. Sesshomaru took Kagome's fragile hand, and after she exited the car and stumbled on the curb, he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. She looked up at him and blushed. "Sorry…" she said breathlessly. He just nodded and held her for a second longer, then looked away. The whole situation was very awkward until he released her a moment later and started to walk toward the door, leaving her behind, just standing there on the sidewalk by herself. "Kagome," he said, and glanced over his shoulder when he didn't hear the soft click of her heels. Kagome quickly went to him, and awkwardly followed behind him through the double doors of the large banquet hall.

Kagome looked around the large building in awe. So many people, and all so well dressed. She unconsciously took a hold of Sesshomaru's arm when all sorts of people turned to look at the two. Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at her when he felt her hands clutching the fabric of his sleeve. He pulled her hand so she was holding his arm, and not wrinkling his coat sleeve. She didn't seem to notice, as she was too busy looking around, almost frantically, at the surroundings that were so extraordinary to an ordinary girl like her.

He led her over to the table that the others had already claimed as their own, or rather, had been reserved for them. He politely pulled out a chair, motioning for her to sit down. Kagome nodded and couldn't hide the shy smile from her face. No one had _ever_ done that for her before. She didn't notice that when Sesshomaru moved to sit in a seat across the table, Inuyasha cleared his throat, glancing at the empty seat next to Kagome. Sesshomaru gave him a look, but then stiffly sat next to Kagome.

They all just sat for a while, and had water while they chatted. Sango and Miroku were the first ones to leave the table for the dance floor, and Inuyasha left with Kikyo soon after, even though Inuyasha was hesitant to leave Kagome behind. Kikyo had to remind him that he was there with her, not Kagome. He obeyed, and they soon headed toward the stairs that led to the dance floor, which was on the second floor of the two-story building.

The two sat in awkward silence for about 20 minutes, minus the five or six times that Kagome attempted at an interesting conversation, but with Sesshomaru, that was no simple task. Eventually, a man walked up and broke the silence. "Sesshomaru. I'm so glad to see that you've arrived. And brought a lady along with you, I see. How wonderful. May I ask your name?" he inquired, and held out his hand.

Kagome took his hand in hers and smiled weakly. "Kagome Higurashi," she said nervously.

Kagome held in a surprised gasp when rather than shaking Kagome's hand, the man brought it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand gently. "A beautiful woman with a name to match. Pleased to meet you. The name's Bond. James Bond," he said, and smirked at her.

Kagome frowned. "What a strange name…" she said, then recovered. "I mean… I didn't mean it like that, it's just…"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of James Bond!" the man cried.

"Is there a reason I should know you? I don't think we've met…" She trailed off.

"What? No, I'm not James Bond. It was a joke. You mean to tell me you've never heard of him?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I haven't…" she said shakily.

"Wow… you people really are deprived over here," he said, and laughed.

"What?" she asked, confused.

He waved his hand. "Never mind," he said. "The name's Anthony Moore, and I'm pleased to meet you," he smiled warmly.

"An…tho…ny…" she sounded out. Remember, this is an _American _name, and she is _Japanese_. She's not slow or anything; it's just not a common name in Japan.

"You can call me 'Tony'. That's what they all call me around here," he said.

"Around here?" she asked.

"In Japan," he replied.

"Oh! You're a foreigner?"

"Yes, I'm an American. You couldn't tell?" he asked, laughing.

"Well I thought you might be, but you speak Japanese so well," she said.

He waved off the compliment. "Anyway, I came over here to tell you, Sesshomaru, that your father wants to have a word with you," he said.

Sesshomaru nodded and stood. "If you'll excuse me," he said, nodding slightly to Kagome, who smiled weakly in return as he left.

Anthony glanced at Sesshomaru as he left. "So are you his girlfriend?" he asked suggestively.

The question took Kagome by surprise. "No, of course not," she responded hastily.

He raised an eyebrow. "I see… well you know you're the first girl he's ever brought to one of these," he informed her.

Kagome was surprised, to say the least. But then she got a hold of herself. "Oh, but it's not like that…" she said quickly.

"Then what is it like?" he asked, smiling.

"What? Uh… I don't know… but not that," she said nervously.

Anthony laughed. "I'm sure it's not," he said. Kagome went to say something, but he interrupted her. "Don't worry, I believe you. Anyway, you'll have to excuse me, but I'm needed elsewhere. See ya," he said, and with that, he was gone.

Kagome shook he head. What a strange man. But he had seemed nice enough. It was then that she had realized how nervous she was. And the fact that she had been left alone made her even more nervous. She had second thoughts about ever coming back to one of these, and had started to regret coming, and she'd only been inside the building for about 45 minutes. She sighed as she sipped her water and decided to do some 'people watching'.

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Inuyasha leaned over the railing and scanned the growing crowd of people downstairs for anything interesting as he waited for Kikyo to return from the restroom. Nothing. He looked around upstairs again, and noticed Sesshomaru and his father standing out on one of the balconies, talking. Wait a minute. He looked around downstairs again, and saw Kagome sitting at the table, swirling the water in her glass, as she looked more bored than ever. He could see her moving her lips, but couldn't make out what she was saying. He glanced at the people around her, and could see several men eyeing her and chatting amongst themselves, and one headed toward her, carrying two drinks in his hands.

He fumed, then stormed over to the balcony. "Sesshomaru," he hissed. Sesshomaru merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's no way to greet your brother, Inuyasha. Or me, for that matter," his father said impatiently.

Without bothering to look at his father, Inuyasha spoke. "Hello, father," he seethed. "Sesshomaru, are you forgetting something?" he hissed.

"It would seem that I am. Do you mind filling me in?" he asked sarcastically.

"Kagome. Are you forgetting her? You left her all by herself," he said.

"She can take care of herself," Sesshomaru said, waving it off.

"No. You're supposed to be her date. You're not supposed to leave her by herself."

"Date?" their father inquired. "Sesshomaru?"

"I believe that is none of your concern," he replied coolly.

"None of my concern? Of course it is!" Inuyasha practically shouted.

"And why is that?"

He hesitated. "She's my friend, that's why," he said. "Sesshomaru…" he started.

"Fine," he said, and then left the balcony, heading for the staircase. Inuyasha and his father watched Sesshomaru return to the table over the railing.

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"Bored, bored, bored… bored times one hundred… bored times two hundred… mega, super, ultra bored…" Kagome rambled.

"It would seem that you are enjoying yourself," came a voice from behind her, nearly making her jump out of her chair.

"Oh, hi Sesshomaru," Kagome said shakily. "What did your father have to say?" she asked. When she saw he had no intention of responding, she spoke up again herself. "That interesting, huh?" she said sarcastically.

Sesshomaru raised his hand, and for a second, Kagome thought he was going to slap her, but instead, he was waving a waiter over, and when he arrived, requested some wine for the both of them. The waiter set down two wine glasses in front of them, and poured them each a glass, and left the bottle behind. Sesshomaru picked his up to drink, and looked at Kagome expectantly.

"I don't drink, Sesshomaru," she said plainly.

"It won't hurt you to try," he said.

"I'm underage," she said, staring at the drink. He stared at her.

"You've already had some, haven't you?" he asked.

"Maybe a little," she said. "But it was because this guy brought me some, and I didn't want him to think I was still in high school, so…"

"You shouldn't accept drinks from strangers," he said simply.

"Oh… then… do you count?" she asked.

Sesshomaru shrugged, and watched as Kagome took a sip of hers. So the two just sat there and drank, looking around the room uncomfortably, and whenever their eyes met, they would look away.

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About 15 minutes after Kikyo had returned, Inuyasha decided to check on Kagome and Sesshomaru again. He looked over the railing and saw them just sitting there. Not talking or anything. Just sitting there drinking and looking around the room. He slapped his forehead and drug his hang down his face in frustration. _Sesshomaru you idiot._ After assuring Kikyo that he'd be right back, Inuyasha went down the stairs to talk to Sesshomaru.

When he reached the two, he noticed what they were drinking. Red wine. Inuyasha shook his head, knowing that Kagome wasn't a drinker. And wine being Sesshomaru's favorite type of alcohol, he could only assume who's idea it was to order it. "Sesshomaru," he called, and then motioned for him to move away from the table so the two could talk in private. "Kagome, we'll be right back," he said. Kagome just nodded, then went back to looking around the room.

"What's the problem now? I'm not leaving her alone," Sesshomaru said irritatedly, when he saw the look on Inuyasha's face.

"Yeah, but you guys aren't exactly having fun either," he stated.

"I never have 'fun' at these parties."

"Well can you at least try? Or at least try to make her enjoy herself?" Inuyasha requested.

"I can't _make_ her do anything," he said.

"Sesshomaru…"

"Fine. What do you suggest that I do?"

"I don't know… show her around… dance… just do something other than make her miserable and get her drunk, please?" he asked.

Sesshomaru glared at him, then, turning on his heels, walked back toward Kagome's seat, where he grabbed her arm, and proceeded to pull her away from the table. Inuyasha shook his head and returned up the stairs to Kikyo on the dance floor.

After showing Kagome around both the downstairs and upstairs, they ended up going out on the balcony at Kagome's request. Kagome ordered another glass of wine, as did Sesshomaru, and the two stood out there, drinking and looking out into the darkness. Inuyasha happened to pass by and see the two, and he rolled his eyes, then pulled Sesshomaru inside, leaving Kagome standing outside by herself, but she didn't really seem to notice.

"What is it now?" Sesshomaru asked, making no effort to hide his irritation.

"I thought I told you not to get her drunk," he said angrily.

"I don't remember being obligated to obey you," he spat.

"Well could you at least make the night more enjoyable for her?" Inuyasha asked, exasperated.

"How do you propose I go about such a thing?"

"Ask her to dance. Girls seem to like that sort of thing," Inuyasha suggested.

"I don't dance."

"Please just do this."

Sesshomaru growled, then walked out to the balcony, took Kagome's drink from her, and, setting it down on a nearby table, dragged her out to the dance floor. "You know, you could just tell me where we're going, instead of just dragging me around like a dog," she said.

"I suppose I could," he said, and stopped right in front of her. "We're going to dance," he said.

"Oh…" she said. And they danced. Well, yeah they danced, but, as if they were afraid of each other, as they were far apart, compared to other couples. Inuyasha noticed this, and when Sesshomaru felt a light tap on his shoulder, he was already annoyed at whoever it was.

"What, Inuyasha?" he hissed.

"Kagome, I need to talk to Sesshomaru for just a second. Don't go anywhere," he smiled, and Kagome just nodded, and turned around to give the boys more privacy.

"Can't you at least pretend you want to be here?" Inuyasha hissed.

"And what to you mean by that?"

"Could you be a little nicer to Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"If there is anyone being rude tonight, it is you, who keeps dragging me away from her," Sesshomaru spat.

"Sesshomaru…" he started.

"Don't you have more important things to concern yourself over?" Sesshomaru interrupted. "Like your girlfriend?"

"Don't change the subject," Inuyasha said.

"Why don't you stop worrying about what I do, and start worrying about Kikyo, whom you've been ignoring in order to spy on me?" Sesshomaru said, annoyed.

"I'm not spying on you," Inuyasha insisted.

"Then leave. And stop bothering me. I can handle things on my own."

"Obviously not, because you're doing it all wrong," he huffed.

"How do you propose I do this right, then?"

"I don't know, just… stop doing it wrong. You're such an idiot, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha said.

Sesshomaru was about to respond to this, but decided against it. He had a better idea. He'd show Inuyasha how to do it right. He turned around, without a word, and grabbed Kagome, turning her to face him. He wrapped one arm around her lower back, and put one hand at the base of her neck. The two stood so close that their noses almost touched.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome whispered nervously. Sesshomaru didn't know why he did what he did next. Maybe it was the alcohol; maybe it was Inuyasha's nagging that drove him to this. Or maybe, maybe it was just because he wanted to. "What are you…" she started, but was silenced by Sesshomaru's rough kiss.

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**Author's Note: **Forgive me for the bad ending, bad writing, and super long break between updates, but well, this is what I could come up with, after all that writer's block. Meh… High School really just takes away all the creativity. Oh and... sorry about any mistakes. I didn't feel like reading through this chapter when I finished. I only bothered to spell check it, and well... this chapter's just too long and that's what you get from me at 1:30 in the morning... :yawns:

**Reviews: **Thanks again to those who reviewed. I look forward to hearing from you all again soon. And of course, I always love to hear from new people as well. So please, don't hesitate to review. It really will make me update faster… I think…

Also, I wanted to bring up a point… why do 21 people have me on author alert, and yet… I don't get 21 reviews per chapter? Isn't that strange? Oh well, I suppose I should appreciate what I've got.

**Phalon22:** Yep! Kagome's his date! . You know that your end number is my jersey number for my club soccer team? Okay, totally irrelevant, but I thought you should know.

**Aqua Miko: **I'm always glad to hear from you. Thanks for your compliments, and sorry I took so long…

**Caramelcutie567: **I've never heard of that fan fiction before, actually. Maybe I should look for it too. Yeah, I can't say that I really followed that rule. See, I had so much reading to do in class, and then there's the fact that I was so busy procrastinating on the internet that I happened to find some interesting stories, and well, I had to read them… so yeah… that probably contributed to my updating problem…

**Fluorescentpinkfairies: **First of all, interesting name. Is my plotline addictive? I just feel like this story is so terrible, but I guess I must be being to harsh on myself, since enough other people seem to like it well enough. Sorry I took so long to update.

**Kimonolover: **Uhh… that's all I have to say…Oh and… I'm not going to kill Kikyo… that would make the story less interesting… if you killed me, who would write the next chapter?

**Shadows Insanity: **Of course. I intend to continue with this story until people start to lose interest. AKA stop reviewing… so… well you know what to do (review).

**TokyoPrincess: **Well I'm glad to hear from you again, and hopefully I will again soon. Maybe it will be a Sess/ Kag story. But then again, it could end up that Sesshomaru's gay and in love with a cross-dressing woman that he thinks is a man dressed up as a woman, but then the she-man kills him because he tries to feed (him) her spaghetti, which (s)he's allergic to, and… oh never mind.

**Mirei Nochi: **Dunno… when will it be a Sess/ Kag story? Now? Later? Yesterday? You know I read out loud all those "More"s that you wrote, and discovered that I could say it way more times than you…

**Duzzie: **Since you said you never remember what you sent me in a review, I'll be sure to answer you in ways that make sense… lol. Glad you liked the last chapter. I hope you like this one… but then again, I hated it, so I wouldn't blame you, you know? Anyway, I think Sango and Kagome will become friends… eventually anyway.

**LadyDesdemona: **Koga will have his downfall soon enough. And how could we just get rid of Kikyo? It would make the story _way_ less interesting… I mean she just has to be there. Oh, and about the whole editing thing, thanks for the offer, but I thought about it after I wrote that in my profile that, well… I'm so particular about some things that I wouldn't be able to stand it anyway, if some "fixed" something other than my spelling errors. You're the best, anyway. I'd forgive you, even if you sucked at editing… lol.

**Anonymous:** Oh my… is this really "R" rated material, you think? I mean there's the incident in Chapter 5, but other than that… does anyone else think I should change the rating?

**Kathlene Oliverio: **Thanks. Your reviews are always so nice! . But this story's not perfect. Far from it, in fact!

**Atomic Toaster: **: Reads name: Uh… : Reads name again:… well uh…. : reads name again:… Sorry I… took so long to update… :reads name: Riiighht…

**DrkMiko: **I'm glad you think so. Fine I updated… is everyone happy?


	9. What Was That?

**Author's Note:** Omg omg omg… new chapter. And this one didn't take as long as last time. Are you all proud of me?

That's what I **WOULD** be saying if this hadn't taken me three months! (so sorry, guys!) Anyway, I'll keep this one short.

**Disclaimer: **Haven't done this in a while. Don't own Inuyasha, but I do own the story, blah blah blah.

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Kagome was, well… shocked, to say the very least. At first, she just stood there, frozen in Sesshomaru's grasp, but then, as she began to realize what was going on, she put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but he refused to let go. Her eyes began to water and she felt dizzy from the sudden rush of blood to her head, plus her previous alcohol intake certainly wasn't helping. Yes, Kagome was officially drunk.

He released her, and she immediately covered her mouth with her delicate fingers. She took a few steps backward, right into Sango's back. Sango and Miroku, who had missed the entire incident, looked at her in confusion as she muttered a quick apology and fled the scene. "I'll be back," Sango told Miroku, as she chased after Kagome. Miroku shrugged, and then saw Kikyo already leading Inuyasha from the scene by his forearm. Kikyo, judging by her lack of a reaction, had apparently missed the incident as well.

Even though Sesshomaru was not likely to supply Miroku with a sufficient answer, Miroku couldn't help but be curious. "What just happened?" he asked.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and looked in the other direction. He wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. What _did_ just happen? He took a few strides away from Miroku, when he felt a hand roughly grab his arm. He was about to angrily shake it off, thinking it was Inuyasha, when he turned and saw Miroku looking at him, confusion in his eyes. "Sesshomaru, what just happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said, and continued to walk away.

Miroku fell in with him, matching Sesshomaru's long, graceful strides within his own, though considerably shorter steps. "Did you do something to Kagome?"

"Mind your own business," he growled, and spun to glare at Miroku.

Miroku held up his hands defensively. "Whoa now. No need to get upset, alright?"

Just as he was about to speak again, Sango came running out of the bathroom. She jogged over to a waiter and asked for a bottle of water, and he went to the kitchen to retrieve her one. Meanwhile, Miroku questioned her about Kagome.

"Well right now she's like puking her intestines out," Sango explained unceremoniously.

Sesshomaru mentally cringed at her crude choice of words. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"I just told you, she's…"

"I know that," Sesshomaru interrupted. "I meant _why_," he spat. He secretly hoped it wasn't because of that unexpected kiss. He unconsciously licked his lips.

Sango laughed. "Did she drink anything tonight?"

Sesshomaru thought for a second. "I believe it's fair to say that she definitely drank her share," he said thoughtfully, causing Sango to laugh again.

The waiter returned with the water, and Sango thanked him and went back to the bathroom to give it to Kagome.

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They were on their way out soon after, as the party was coming to a close anyway. Kagome insisted upon walking on her own, even though she kept stumbling on the way out. Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around her waist in order to steady her, and she found herself reluctantly leaning on him for support, even though she just wanted to get away from him.

As they came closer to the door, Kagome picked up a glass of red wine from a tray that a nearby waiter was holding, and had drank half of the glass before Sesshomaru snatched it from her and downed it himself. She looked at him angrily, and he shrugged, telling her that she didn't need any more.

They sat in the car, and although Sesshomaru had initially placed Kagome close by his side, she sat on the edge of the seat, facing away from him. It wasn't that she was particularly angry with him for what he did… okay, she probably was, but still. She just didn't quite know how to handle the situation, so she did what any other teenage girl would do for the time being: she ignored it.

The ride home was basically silent. Miroku and Sango chatted quietly to each other, as Sango leaned on Miroku's shoulder with his arm draped about her shoulders. Kikyo and Inuyasha were in a similar, less intimate position, seeing as how Inuyasha paid no attention to Kikyo, but spent the majority of the ride glaring at his older brother.

As the limo arrived in front of the brothers' home, Inuyasha and the others sluggishly piled out onto the curb, and discussed transportation home. It was decided that Kagome, Miroku, and Sango would all get rides in the limo back to their respective homes, and Kikyo would stay the night in the guest room at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's place, since there was really nowhere else for her to go for the time being. She would get a hotel room in the morning, since she and Inuyasha had discussed her visiting for the next six weeks, then returning to Osaka, where her family happened to live.

Kagome arrived at the shrine soon after, and headed for her room where she removed her dress and heels, then to the bathroom to wash away her makeup. After scrubbing a little too hard and a bit too long, Kagome braved a look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were still rosy colored from her recent alcohol consumption, and they turned a more reddish hue as she though of what had happened –she glanced at the clock- last night. She brought her fingers to her lips once more, and then brushed her teeth for a good ten minutes, trying to get the taste from her mouth and the feeling from her lips.

How embarrassing. Why had he done that? They'd hardly talked the whole night, were practically forced to go together, and then there was the fact that she was sure that he didn't harbor any romantic feelings for her. Every time she tried to explain it away, she became more confused. She decided to just sleep on it, even though it took her seemingly forever to fall asleep.

Her head was still spinning and her body seemingly refused to rest. She was sure that in the morning, she would have her first hangover. Goody. A good hour and a half later, Kagome finally fell asleep, the kiss still fresh on her mind and lips.

The next morning, her prediction was absolutely correct. After throwing up a few times, and having plenty of Advil, Kagome had experienced her very fist hangover. She decided that it was about as appealing as her first cavity, only way worse. She flung herself into her bed and, ignoring the pounding between her ears, fell asleep.

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Sesshomaru awoke the next morning with only a mild headache. Which was unusual, since he usually handled his alcohol very well. He rarely ever felt any symptoms of a hangover, no matter how minor it was. The previous night's events came rushing back to him, and he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He pulled a shirt over his head, and a pair of shorts over his boxers, which he slept in.

He headed to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator to find something to hold him over until the others awoke and he could fix breakfast. He ended up just taking a can of soda to drink, and as he popped the top open, a drowsy Inuyasha appeared in the doorway. He went to the pantry to get cereal, and after pouring himself a bowl, and taking a few bites, looked at Sesshomaru as if it was the first time he'd seen him in years, and suddenly, he was awake.

Inuyasha dropped his spoon angrily into his bowl, making a loud clattering sound, and spilling some milk onto the counter top. He stepped toward Sesshomaru menacingly. "You… you… bastard…" he started.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow curiously, sipping his soda. "I can't believe you would… and right in front of me, too…" Inuyasha said, standing so he was almost nose-to-nose, or rather, nose to chin, to Sesshomaru, since he was notably taller than Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. "What is it I did this time?" he asked impatiently.

"Don't act all innocent with me! You know exactly what I'm talking about," Inuyasha growled.

"Actually, I don't," Sesshomaru told him. "And I'd appreciate if you would step away from me, this instant."

At this, Inuyasha grabbed the front of Sesshomaru's shirt angrily. "You bastard. I can't believe you kissed her," he snarled.

Sesshomaru was about to respond when he was interrupted by a soft, feminine voice. "Kissed who?" Both brothers' eyes darted toward the doorway, where they saw Kikyo standing there, still in her pajamas, with a robe draped about her narrow shoulders.

Inuyasha ceased his hold on the front of Sesshomaru's shirt, and backed away guiltily. "Nobody, Kikyo. It's nothing, really," he lied, and returned to his somewhat- soggy cereal. Kikyo was about to further press the issue when she decided against it and went to start on her own breakfast.

Inuyasha ended up practically inhaling his cereal and setting the used bowl a bit rougher than necessary on the counter before he stormed out of the kitchen. "We'll talk later," Inuyasha hissed as he brushed past Sesshomaru, who only rolled his eyes.

"Is something wrong with Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked, once Inuyasha left the kitchen.

Sesshomaru shrugged, not wanting to provide any answers. "I wonder why he's acting that way. Do you think I did something to upset him?" she asked, concerned. Sesshomaru only shrugged again.

"I doubt it," he said.

"Did something happen that I should know about? What's going on?" Kikyo continued to ask, with slightly growing urgency.

"It's nothing, I'm sure. Inuyasha just isn't a morning person," Sesshomaru quickly covered, then bit the inside of his lip at his almost mechanical lie. He never covered for Inuyasha like this. He either said what was going on, or said nothing at all. His face suddenly reddened as he realized that he was covering for himself. He covered his face with one hand and quickly left the kitchen, leaving Kikyo confused.

"Sesshomaru?" Kikyo asked.

"It's nothing. I'm going to take a shower," he said, as the previous night's events finally came back to hit him full force. _A nice, long, cold one at that. What the hell was I thinking?_

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Kagome re-awoke to the sound of a somewhat obnoxious knock on her bedroom door. "Yes?" she called groggily.

"Sweetheart, you have a friend here to see you," she responded, almost too excitedly. It had been a while since Kagome had company, so she almost didn't blame her. Seconds later, the door opened, revealing Sango.

"Oh hey Sango," Kagome said, and sat up.

Kagome's mother smiled. "Well call me if you need anything sweetheart," she said, closing the door behind her as she left. Kagome just nodded.

"So what's going on?" Kagome asked nervously.

Sango waved her hand. "No need to be all nervous. I just came by to see how you're doing. Besides, we're friends now, remember?"

Kagome sighed in relief. "Of course. I nearly forgot," she said in all seriousness.

Sango just laughed. "So are you feeling better?"

"Other than the fact that I feel like I got ran over a truck three times, I'm great," she said sarcastically.

Sango laughed. "Really, though, how bad is it?"

"Actually not so bad. As time goes on, I start feeling better. I'm sure that in a few hours I'll be feeling pretty good."

"Good enough to go out to lunch?"

"Well, I guess. What time?"

"In a few hours, but we have to stop by Inuyasha's house first. I left a few things there, and I'd like to pick them up as soon as possible," Sango explained.

Kagome mentally cringed at the idea of facing Sesshomaru so soon, but forced a smile on her face. "Sure. I don't see why not. Just let me get showered and changed first, alright?" Kagome quickly made her way to the bathroom and was fully dressed thirty minutes later when she returned to her room to find Sango lying across her bed, reading a magazine.

"Ready to go?" Sango asked.

"In a minute. I just have to put on my makeup," she said absently.

"You don't usually wear makeup, do you?" Sango asked.

"Not since last night. Plus I still have these dark circles under my eyes, so I guess I have to do something about it, right?" Kagome replied, and smiled.

Sango shrugged. "I guess." Soon after, they were on their way to Inuyasha's house, and Kagome continued to grow more and more nervous as they approached the house. She held her breath as Sango rang the doorbell. To her relief, or dismay (she couldn't tell which), Inuyasha answered the door, and invited them in. Sango hurried inside to grab whatever she left in the other room, and Kagome stood awkwardly with Inuyasha in the front room.

"Would you like to sit down?" he finally asked, and Kagome nodded. But she took only a few steps when a wave of dizziness overcame her and she nearly fainted. Inuyasha caught her and felt her forehead. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, and led her over to the couch where he sat her down, and started to rub her back.

"I'm fine," she said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Have you eaten?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "Actually no," she responded, and straightened.

Just then, Sango walked in. "Ready to go Kagome?"

"You're leaving already? Why don't you two stay and eat?" Inuyasha offered.

"Kagome and I were already on our way out to eat. You're welcome to join us, if you want," Sango said.

"You guys just stay here. I'll fix something for all of us," he said, and moved toward the kitchen.

"And risk food poisoning? I'd advise against it," Sesshomaru remarked snidely as he emerged from around the corner, clad in sweat pants and a t-shirt as he towel-dried his hair.

Sango chuckled. "Good morning Sesshomaru," she said.

"Morn…uh…" he said when he saw Kagome. "-Ahem- Good morning."

"No one asked you," Inuyasha growled.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…"

"What if I did?" he snarled, and with that, stormed out of the room.

"Uh… okay…" Sango said slowly. "Anyone wanna tell me what's going on?"

Kagome shrugged. "Not particularly," Sesshomaru said coolly.

Sango sighed. Just then the front door burst open, revealing a very aggravated Miroku. His expression brightened, however, when he saw Sango. "Perfect," he said, and grabbed her by the arm. "Come with me," he said, dragging her back through the front door.

"What? What are you…" Sango's voice was cut off as the door slammed behind her.

"Well that was…odd," Kagome said, and then looked at Sesshomaru who had awkwardly seated himself on the chair opposite from the couch she currently occupied. The two just looked at each other, blinked, then found something else in the room to focus their respective eyes on.

"So uh…" Kagome started. Sesshomaru just looked at her. "About last night…" she started, hoping Sesshomaru would start filling in the blanks. He blinked at her.

"What about it?" he asked coolly.

"Well uh… it was a night… a long night, wouldn't you say?"

"Not particularly longer than any other night in the year," he shrugged.

"Well it was somewhat eventful, right?"

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was."

"If you could get to the point…"

"You know what I'm getting to!" Kagome said in a hushed tone.

"Actually I don't."

"Well towards the end of the night, you did something, and I want an explanation from you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know perfectly well…"

"No, I don't, so if you could…" Sesshomaru began.

"You know what I'm talking about! Stop being a jerk!" Kagome fought to keep her voice down.

"Well if you could just…"

"Why did you do it, Sesshomaru?"

"Do what…?"

"Kiss me."

"Actually, I'd rather not…"

"Sesshomaru! Why did you kiss me last night? And in plain view of everyone, too! Did you think that after you got me drunk you could take advantage of me, and…"

"Surely you must be mistaken. I did no such thing and would never have such intentions…"

"Are you _trying_ to act like Inuyasha?" Kagome hissed.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that…" Sesshomaru said, starting to become a bit tense.

"Why are you lying to me?" she grilled him.

"I'm not…"

"Then what are you…"

"Other people lie. I call it the art of _creative deception_," Sesshomaru explained, and started to stand up.

"Get back here and tell me what's going on, Sesshomaru," Kagome insisted.

Sesshomaru spun on his heel to glare at her, his still damp hair swirling around his shoulders. "What happened is in the past. I don't owe you any explanation. And never talk to me like that again or you may not live to regret it." With that, Sesshomaru was out of the room and Kagome became paler than before as she clutched her chest in anxiety.

_Was that a death threat?_

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**Author's Note:** Okay so I _finally_ got this one out. Are you guys proud of me? I'm not… this chapter is worse than the last. But I promise ( I hope) the next one will be better. I have a major event coming up next chapter (or the chapter after) that I couldn't add in here because then the story would be moving way too quickly, so this was mostly a filler chapter.

**Reviewers:** _Thank you SO MUCH_ for all your support. It really means a lot to me that all types of people are reading my stories. So thanks. Also, look out for any new stories I may be posting, and if you want to check on my progress, go ahead and check out my site (it's in my profile- click on home page).

**Rizika Tzipora:** Uhhhmmm… if he died somehow, I think that would kill the story. No one's gonna kill him for that! Not even himself!

**Lady Desdemona: **As always, glad to hear from you, and I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Yep I've been playing soccer for like… my whole life. In fact, it's hard to remember a time that I didn't play soccer. Actually, soccer had a little (actually kind of a lot) to do with why this chapter took so long to get out… (long story)

**Sessys-matelove: **Uhhhhh… sorry I took so long! 

**Duzzie: ** It seems like the chapters I don't like, other people like. (If I didn't like the last chapter, I totally despise this one… I feel like I'm killing it already)

**Lil mutt face grl: **Glad you liked it. Well I wront the next chapter, but you never said how long I could wait!

**Kimonolover: **OMG Kikyo's hardly in this chapter… awww crap.

**Midori: ** You re-read it…. And you still like it… why? Thank you though!

**Kagamoesiun: **Hopefully. It should be painfully slow and violent, I think.

**Tokyo Princess: **I feel so guilty when people tell me how much they love my story. Because I look back at it and realize just how awful it really is, and it drives me insane! But thanks anyway!

**Sesshybabie: ** You must be a Sess/Kag fan.

**Aurora and Sora: ** I think that was the only part of the last chapter I actually found amusing… Thanks!

**AddictedToInu: **Actually, I'm leaning toward Inu/Kag in future stories, so if you like that pairing better, then, well… just look out for that. I'm hoping to have the first chapter of my new story up in a few days!

**PippetJimmy: **Glad you liked the chapter. Now you know Kagome's reaction. Trust me, this is only the beginning. ;)

**33andobsessed: **Glad to hear all that! I thought it would be refreshing to try something a little different. But let me tell you… it's pretty hard…

**Katsume18:** Thanks a lot!

**Crimson Eyes7806: **Thanks… "shannanagins"… what a funny word… I love it.

**Caramelcutie567: ** A pleasure to hear from you as always. And the word I believe is "magnificent". But it can hardly be used to describe this story. Eck. Anyway, I checked out that fanfiction you told me about. Oh my gosh… I now feel bad about this story… haha. But that's okay, I'm coming out with something new pretty soon.

**Aqua Miko: **I'm sure Sesshomaru can be wrong once in a while. More than Kagome, but less than Inuyasha.

**Phalon22: **I could, but I don't think Inuyasha is smart enough to do that at this point.

**BlackGuardian26: **Agh. My eyes hurt…

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**Final Note: **I'm sure you all have read this a few times, but I'm coming out with a new story some time this or next week. Check back, and check out my xanga for any updates or whatever else I feel like talking about… Maybe even sneak peaks of upcoming stuff. And as always, review. It makes me feel good about myself even when I suck.


	10. He's Back

**Author's Note: **Yay! New chapter! I have nothing to say except… urrgghh… my stomach hurts… oh, and… this one was a lot faster than the last chapter, so… yay for me! Uhhmm… I don't know if this title will make sense to you guys, but…

Oh, and Happy 4th of July to all of you. I thought of posting it on the 4th, but I just couldn't get it out in time!

**Chapter 10: He's Back**

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"Did I just threaten her?" Sesshomaru asked himself as he leaned against the wall in the hallway. He ran a hand through his long hair and shook his head as he walked to his room and shut the door behind him. Never had a woman made him lose his cool that way.

Inuyasha came back down the hallway just in time to see Sesshomaru's door closed. Good riddance. He headed back toward the front room where he hoped Kagome still was sitting, and she was, only she had her head resting on her forearm, which was draped across the couch's armrest.

"Kagome?" he called carefully. "What's wrong? Did Sesshomaru do something to you?" he asked.

"What? No, I'm just not feeling well," she lied. "He has nothing to do with it."

"Alright then. When did you and Sango plan on going out?" Inuyasha asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know, she went outside with Miroku…" Kagome trailed off. Just then, Sango and Miroku reappeared in the doorway, carrying various bags and boxes.

"This way," Miroku instructed, leading Sango down one of the hallways.

"Hey, Miroku what are you doing?" Inuyasha called.

"What does it look like? Grab some boxes from my car. I'm moving in!"

"Moving… what?" he said, surprised. But Miroku was already inside one of the rooms, unloading his things. "You've got to be kidding me…" Inuyasha grumbled, and went outside to help. "Miroku, don't you know how to ask?" he practically shouted once he got to the room Miroku had chosen to occupy.

"Basically, I got thrown out, and need somewhere to stay for a while. I thought you wouldn't mind since I already practically live here, but if you do, then I guess I could find a nice park bench or something… I hear one of the bums just got a job and there's an opening next to the rat infested one…"

"By all means, I say you take it," Inuyasha said un-sympathetically.

"Inuyasha…" Miroku started.

"Oh whatever. Just keep it quiet, alright?"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Miroku saluted.

"Oh shut up," he said. A few minutes later, all of Miroku's belongings were inside the room. Or at least, everything he brought with him.

"You guys ready to go?" Sango asked, and with that, they were off.

At the restaurant, things were just a bit forced between Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha because of that kiss the night before, and Kagome because of… well… Kikyo. Other than that, it actually turned out to be a pretty pleasant outing. When Inuyasha returned, however, Kikyo was sitting in the front room, looking somewhat unhappy.

"Inuyasha," she practically whined. "Where did you go?"

"Oh, we all went out to eat, and…" he started. It was then that he realized his mistake. "Well I didn't ask you because it was sort of last minute and I thought you would be uncomfortable…"

"Well maybe if you had given me the chance before, we wouldn't have to worry about this…"

The other three walked in behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder. "Okay, next time," he said. Kikyo floated over to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"Good," she said. Inuyasha blushed a little, and automatically glanced out of the corner of his eye to see if Kagome had seen. She had, of course.

"Eck. Get a room," Sango said, disgusted.

"We have one," Kikyo said jokingly. She looked at Inuyasha. "Maybe we should use it," she said suggestively, and giggled, kissing him again.

Sango gagged purposely. "Gross."

"You're so immature," Kikyo laughed.

"You're so disgusting," Sango countered. With that, Kagome simply left the room, tempting Inuyasha to follow after her.

"Kagome, it's not…" he started, and pried himself away from Kikyo. Before he could take two steps, however, Kikyo grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'll be right back. Why don't you get better acquainted with Miroku and Sango?" he suggested, and then followed after Kagome.

Kikyo huffed, and then looked at the two accusingly, and they just looked at each other and shrugged in response.

When Inuyasha caught up with Kagome in the hallway, he grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Kagome, it's not…" he started, then stopped himself.

"Not what? What were you going to tell me, Inuyasha?" she hissed.

"Never mind. Why did you run off like that?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Kagome started. "But I was going to the bathroom, so if you'll give me a little privacy and go back to _Kikyo_ and the others, I'll be fine alone, thank you," Kagome said, with a slight stress on Kikyo's name.

"Uhh…" Inuyasha said not so intelligently as he watched Kagome go around the corner and heard the bathroom door slam behind her. "Sure…" he said to no one in particular. "What else could I have thought?"

In the bathroom, if anyone was standing by the door, then Kagome could be heard whispering to herself. "Snap out of it Kagome, what's wrong with you? Just forget about all this and move on!" she told herself. A few minutes later, she exited the bathroom and ran into (who else) Sesshomaru. "Oh, excuse me," she said nervously, and tried to step around him, but he took a step in front of her. "Uh… Sesshomaru…?"

He cleared his throat. "If earlier, I came off to be rude, or offensive, I believe an apology is in order," he started. Of course, Inuyasha just _had_ to come back to check on Kagome, and Kagome saw him approaching them behind Sesshomaru.

"Of course!" she blurted out, and grabbed his hand. "I'll meet you for coffee at nine tomorrow morning! Sounds wonderful. It's a date then," she said, and with an abrupt kiss on the lips, walked past him before he got the chance to respond. _What did I just do?_

Inuyasha, of course, could only glare at Sesshomaru as he stormed down the hallway after Kagome. "What was that?" he asked her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she responded coldly as they approached the front room again.

"Kagome…" he started.

"Well, I think I'd better be on my way," Kagome announced, heading toward the door. "Inuyasha, thanks for having us over, Miroku, I'll see you soon, and Kikyo… nice to see you again," she said, and turned toward the door.

"Wait," Sango called after her. "I was just about to leave too. We'll go together," she suggested. Kagome nodded in agreement, and they left Inuyasha's house, as Inuyasha just stared at the door in bewilderment.

Inuyasha didn't realize how much time had passed before Kikyo wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his back. "What's the matter, Inuyasha?" she asked.

He shook his head and turned to face her, wrapping one arm around her and running his free hand through her hair. "Nothing, Kikyo," he said, and softly kissed her forehead.

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Kagome flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the last few encounters she'd had with Sesshomaru in the last twenty-four hours. _I must be crazy_. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and dozed off until her mother called her downstairs for dinner. After that, she'd simply fallen asleep again until the next morning.

She looked at her clock and nearly screamed. "I'm gonna be late…. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be late…" she said to herself at least twenty times. She was still in yesterday's clothes, and she was sure she looked absolutely disgusting, although she wasn't quite sure _when_ she'd actually started caring. She jumped out of the shower, dried her hair and quickly dressed herself. "Bye mom! I'm off to school!" she called, just as she was reaching the door.

"Kagome, wait," her mother said, then appeared with a lunch to give to Kagome. "Have a good day at school dear," she said.

"I will, thanks. See ya mom," she said, and ran out the door. Kagome's mother smiled as she walked back inside.

Kagome arrived at school just barely on time. She pulled her necessary books from her locker and spun around, only to run straight into a wall. Only, this wall had arms, and kept her from falling over. This wall also had a name. This wall's name was Koga. The bell rang, and the hallways started to empty.

He smirked. "I see you've cleaned yourself up a bit," he said. "What, you got a new boyfriend to impress?" he laughed.

"Leave me alone, Koga," Kagome warned.

"That was a dumb question. Who would hang with used trash like you?" he laughed again at his own 'joke'.

She shot a hateful look at him. "Oohhh… did I hit a nerve?" He pushed her into a wall and hovered over her, with his arms on either side of her. "I think I'd like to hit something else… that is, if you're not already diseased," he laughed. It was then that Kagome smelled the alcohol on his breath. By this time, the hallways were almost completely empty, save for the few stragglers who pretended not to see what was going on.

"What are you doing drinking at school?" she asked.

"Mind your own business. You bother me," he said.

"You're the one harassing me," she countered.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"Don't get me started. Listen. I'm late for class. Can we do this another time?" she said, trying to get around him.

"_Can we do this another time?_" he repeated in a mocking tone. "That's all it _ever_ was with you!" he cried, and then struck her in the ribs again.

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. "Leave me alone!" she said again, this time with less force. "Please…"

"What are you going to do? Sick your new boyfriend Inuyasha on me?" he asked.

Kagome looked up with fire in her eyes, and then did something she never knew she could. She punched Koga right in the nose, and as he crumpled weakly to the floor, she fled to her first period class. The teacher just looked at her, and she apologized as she quickly made her way to her seat, and placed her things on the desk anxiously.

A few minutes later, there came a knock at the door, and Kagome tensed up for a moment upon seeing who it was. It was Koga, with a bloodstained rag held under his nose. Kagome's eyes wandered to her hand and saw lines of dried blood across her knuckles. She allowed herself to relax, and sent a smirk in Koga's direction.

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The rest of the day was basically uneventful until Kagome reached her history class. The class quieted down, and the teacher went to the front of the class to talk. The whole class basically consisted of taking notes and answering questions, until the end, when he brought up something important that Kagome had basically forgotten.

"I trust that you all have been working diligently on your group projects, and I hope to see good results from you all on Friday," he said, and with that, the bell rang.

She met Inuyasha and Miroku outside of the classroom, and they discussed their plans to meet at Inuyasha's house (again) after school. Kagome fidgeted in nervousness at this. Things weren't exactly going… smoothly over there as of late. Kagome shrugged it off and decided things would be okay, as long as they stayed on task.

Before going over to Inuyasha's house, Kagome decided to go home first to drop off some of her things and pick up some supplies for the project. Her brother happened to be home, so she got him a snack on her way out. "Bye Souta! I'm leaving," she called.

"Kagome, wait!" he said, and his footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. "You got some mail," he said, handing her three sealed envelopes.

"Thanks Souta. I'll just open these later," she said, and turned to the door. "I'll see you later. Tell mom I'm over at Inuyasha's place, okay?"

"Will do," he said, and with that, Kagome finally was on her way to Inuyasha's.

She arrived at Inuyasha's a little while later and knocked on the front door. Sesshomaru opened the door, and Kagome blushed. Sesshomaru looked at her questioningly and moved aside to allow her inside. She removed her shoes, nodded, and practically ran to Inuyasha's room. _Well that was awkward._

No sooner than she stepped through the open door, did she hear Inuyasha's complaining. "Well _finally_. You sure took your time, didn't you?"

"Well _excuse _me. I had something I had to do after school. It's not like it took me that long anyway…" she said snidely.

"Yeah whatever," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Give her a break Inuyasha. It's not like we have _that_ much left to do, anyway," Miroku said, sending a comforting smile in Kagome's direction.

Inuyasha huffed. "Whatever."

With that little exchange completed, they got to work on their project.

After a few hours had passed, the doorbell rang. Miroku and Kagome looked at Inuyasha.

"What?" he said. They looked at him. "It's not like I'm expecting anyone."

"You sure about that?" Kagome asked.

"What's that supposed to mean? Kikyo's in her room packing, so it's not her," Inuyasha explained.

"It's not like I thought –or cared- that it was her," Kagome countered. The doorbell rang again. "Will you answer it already?"

"Sesshomaru can get it. I'm busy," Inuyasha said stubbornly.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said, but Miroku had already stood.

"Don't strain yourselves. I'll get it," he said, and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Inuyasha spat out his seemingly new favorite word.

Miroku entered the room again followed by Sango. "What are _you_ doing here?" Inuyasha asked.

"Gee, don't sound _too_ excited to see me. I came to see Kagome. Her mom said she would be here," she said, and smiled in Kagome's direction. "Oh! And I brought ice cream too."

"We don't have time for ice cream. We're busy," he said.

"Come _on_ Inuyasha. We have time for a break. We can finish up tomorrow. _Relax_," Miroku said.

"What are you guys so busy doing, anyway?" Sango asked.

"The _project_. You know, the one you're supposed to be doing with shit-head and what's his face?" Inuyasha said.

"You mean Koga and Arashi. They actually finished it over the weekend," Sango said. "All I have to do now is look over it and make sure it's okay. I can't believe you guys aren't done."

"Whatever," Inuyasha said…_again_.

"Well why don't we go eat this in the kitchen, before it melts?" Sango suggested, gesturing towards the ice cream.

"Sounds good to me," Kagome agreed, and they all went into the kitchen to eat. They chatted for a while as they ate their ice cream, until Kikyo started bringing her luggage out of her room and into the front room. It seemed as though she was making as much noise as possible coming down the hallway. Humming to herself, dragging her bags across the floor, bumping into walls, dropping her things by the front door.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, who just ignored it all, and only paid attention to Sango and Kagome's conversation. Kagome was getting somewhat uncomfortable as she noticed his unwavering stare. He seemed almost trance-like. So she did what she could to snap him out of it, without being obvious about it. She knocked her bag off of the table, and some of its contents went spilling out, along with the few letters that she had forgotten about earlier.

Kagome picked up her other things and put them back in the bag, while Sango picked up one of the letters Kagome had missed. Kagome glanced at the address from the others, and didn't recognize them. "Hmm… I wonder what these are for?" she said.

"They could be from colleges. I get those sometimes. Here. This one's from Rei Watase. Do you know him, Kagome?" Sango asked.

She dropped her bag again and went pale. "Kagome…?" Inuyasha started, concerned.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Miroku asked. The whole house seemed to go quiet. Even Kikyo had stopped making noise down the hall.

Kagome snatched the letter from Sango, giving her a paper cut. "Hey! Would you be a little more careful?" she shouted, nursing her severed palm. Kagome ignored it, and read the front of the letter almost feverishly. "Kagome? What's going on?"

"Rei Watase…" she muttered. The others looked at her, confused. "Rei Watase is my father. I haven't heard from him since he left my mother and I almost two years ago," she said, almost at a whisper.

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**Author's Note:** Dun, dun, dunnnn……

**Reviewers: **Once again, I thank those of you who didn't give up on me/ forget my story existed after my looonnnnggg break, and I _love_ hearing from new people, as always. For those of you who forgot I existed… (_grumbles)_… -ahem-. Anyway, thanks a bunch, and I look forward to hearing from you next chapter!

Aww, thanks **Anime-Lover09**, but I'm not that great. I'm glad you liked the last 9 chapters, and I hope you like this one too!

Hah, look who updated within this week, **lil mutt face grl**! Oh, and hey, I don't mind if you think I did something wrong. The reviews are to let me know about that! I really considered doing that, actually, but I did something close to it in this chapter. You like?

Oh come on,** Deathbymotorbike**. She wasn't puking because he kissed her. She was puking because she was drunk, and well… that's what some drunk people do…lol. As for the rest of that, uhh… you sure you're not drunk? I like jellybeans, but I prefer the more fruity kind, you know? Or the sour ones. Those are good too.

It's okay, **TokyoPrincess**. I feel guilty whenever I put up a new chapter. And I worry that I didn't spend enough time editing, or I didn't think it through, or I didn't consider my plans for the future of the story, or… yeah, it basically goes on from there. Thanks, though!

I'm glad you're happy, **Lady Desdemona**. Actually someone suggested that they were wondering if they ought to bring out the mourning doves… I guess I just disappeared off the internet for a very long time.

Yes, but if there were no drama, would it be a story, **Arcander**?

I'm always glad to hear from you, **caramelcutie567**. I updated faster this time, see? And I didn't really even rush it at all. I just told myself that I needed to sit down and work, and once I got past the first paragraph, it started to come to me a little easier. And I would write until I got tired, or had to get off the computer for whatever other reason… Thanks!

Thank you, **hermoine**! I'm working on getting these up quicker.

Thank you for your compliments, **Koga's #1 fan**. I think it's just one of those things that after you've looked at your own work for so long, it just irritates you and you never want to see it again. It's like, the longer I take to update, the more I lose my nerve and I get afraid to write more because I think I'm getting worse, if that makes any sense. Oh, and I want to apologize to you right now, seeing as how you like Koga and all, for making him such a jerk in this story . I like him too, but he's just a convenient antagonist, that's all.

I don't mind at all, **animeboytoykoi**! It's the thought that counts, right? I love getting reviews no matter what.

Thank you, **ladyofthewest15**!

Thanks, **VashLvR**, and I couldn't agree with you more.

Thanks a bunch, **toxiclollipop**, although I think I owe you a bit more than that… . Glad you checked out my story though, and thanks for every chapter. I could just hug you! You know like in that non creepy friend sort of way… -ahem-… next!

Actually, **Shayla sweats **she falls in love with her long-lost cousin's step-sister's aunt's niece's husband's brother's mother's oldest daughter's friend's cousin's brother's wife's daughter's best friend (hope that's not too confusing).

Yes, well, at first, I didn't think of using her, **yoyo person**, but then it just became more convenient to do that, so I did! And thanks. I'm glad I didn't make anyone angry over it or anything.

Once again, I'm glad to hear from you, **Phalon22**. Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you stay with me to the end of this story! It's gonna end with a bang, I've already got it planned out!

_Happy Birthday to my mother, who is 46 on July 9th. Yay!_


	11. Girls, Cars, and Cell Phones, right?

**Author's Note:** I have returned. So soon, you ask? (Go on, ask) Yes, so soon. I hope you all enjoy this.

**Chapter 10: Girls, cars, and cell phones… right?**

"Watase?" Inuyasha asked. "But your last name is Higurashi…"

"My parents divorced, remember? After the whole incident with…" Kagome stopped in mid-sentence, then glanced at Sango.

"Incident? What incident? With who?" Sango asked. An uncomfortable wave of silence passed over the room.

"It's nothing," Miroku said, in an attempt to cover Kagome's privacy.

"Well it's obviously something, and I'd like to know," Sango said, putting her hands on her hips impatiently. The kitchen was silent again.

"It's a long story, Sango. I'll tell you another time, I promise," Kagome said silently. She stared at the letter, as if trying to determine whether it was real or not. The room was quiet again.

"Anyway, about the last name?" Inuyasha pressed.

"My parents divorced. It's not unusual for the woman to change her name back after a divorce," Kagome said.

"But it's unusual to change the child's name, isn't it?" he said.

"I… I suppose it is…" Kagome said. "I never even thought about it… my name was always Higurashi."

"Are you going to open the letter?" Miroku asked.

"I… don't know… I guess I probably should, but I don't think I want to…" Kagome said, and handed the letter back to Sango. "You open it."

"I couldn't! This is a letter from a father to his daughter. I couldn't possibly meddle in your business, I…" Sango started, then looked at Kagome again. "Well I guess if you really want me to…" she mumbled. Kagome nodded. "Fine."

The whole house seemed to stop breathing when Sango gently tore open the envelope. "Well the first page just seems to be an ordinary letter. Blah, blah, blah… oh! He wants you to go to Osaka to see him, and…" Sango was cut off when Kagome snatched the letter from her again, and narrowly missed another painful paper cut across Sango's palm. Kagome folded up the letter and jammed it in her bag again.

"Well I think that's enough for now. I'll fill you guys in on the rest later," she said. Inuyasha was about to intervene when he realized it was probably best not to bother her about it.

Kikyo could be heard once again, dragging her suitcases to the front door. "Don't you think maybe you should help her out?" Miroku suggested, gesturing to the noisy hallway.

Inuyasha waved his hand. "I'm sure she can handle it," he said, and then glanced out into the hallway when a loud 'thud' was heard. "Maybe I should…" he said, and left to go help Kikyo.

Sango nudged Kagome. "So, Kagome, what's in the letter?"

Kagome shook her head. "I only know as much as you guys. At this point, I don't want to know anymore, so I'll fill you guys in later when I read it, okay?"

Miroku and Sango were silent, then looked at each other. "Sure. I understand," Sango said. Inuyasha and Kikyo could be heard going back to Kikyo's room to pick up more luggage.

"Kikyo sure brought a lot of stuff with her. What, did she think she was moving in or something?" Miroku joked.

Kagome shrugged. "Could be," she said distractedly. "Anyway, I think I should be going…"

"But Kagome, why don't you just stay for dinner?" Miroku offered.

"Thanks, but I told my mom that I would be home by dinner time," she lied, then stood to leave.

"Could you wait for me a minute, I'd like to walk with you to the train station before it gets dark," Sango said.

"Sure," Kagome said, sounding somewhat relieved to have company. "I'm just going to go wait by the door," she said, then left the kitchen, and, walking down the hallway, she bumped into a certain tall silver-haired gentleman. Sesshomaru, of course.

He nodded in recognition. "Kagome," he said, then glared at her and made no move to step around her.

"Um, hi. Excuse me, Sess…" Kagome started.

"You stood me up."

"I what?"

"Stood me up, you know, you never came, didn't show up."

"Didn't show… show up for what?" Kagome asked, then she blushed when she realized what he must have been talking about.

"You didn't attend our date," he said. "I waited for you at the coffee shop, and you never came."

"I… I uh… well, you know, I had school and…" Kagome stammered.

"Why did you invite me if you knew you had school?"

"Well, you see…"

"Kagome! I'm ready to go!" Sango called, as she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"If you'll excuse me," he said, nodding slightly. "You owe me a date," he whispered as he brushed past her.

"Oh, hi Sesshomaru," Sango said as she passed him in the hallway.

"Sango," he greeted.

Kagome stood frozen in the hallway. 'Did he just ask me out?' She shook her head.

"So what were you and Sesshomaru talking about?" Sango asked after the two stepped through the front door.

"What? Oh, nothing. I just said hi to him when you walked in," Kagome answered.

Sango looked at her. She could tell that Kagome was lying, but decided not to press it. She figured it would be better if Kagome came out with it on her own. "It's sure starting to get hot out, isn't it?" Sango said, and fanned herself as if to prove it.

"It is," Kagome said. "It's almost summer, right?"

"Sure is! And you know what that means," Sango said. Kagome shrugged. "Parties! I know you're excited, right?" she said, and nudged Kagome's arm. Kagome forced a small smile and didn't say anything. "Kagome…?"

"It's nothing, Sango. I'm just… not a party person, you know?" Kagome said.

"Why's that?"

"Something happened a while ago to change all that. It's a long story."

"You don't want to talk about it, huh?" Sango said.

"It's not that, it's just…" Kagome started, then looked at Sango. "Yeah, it's kind of like that. Sorry," she said, and shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize to me, you know."

They walked in silence for a minute. "Kagome, we're friends, right?" Sango started.

"Yea…" Kagome said cautiously.

"So then we can tell each other things, and not worry about other people knowing right? I mean, I hated you before, but that was before I got to know you. I think you're probably my closest female friend. And I'm yours too, right?"

Kagome thought for a second. "Considering I don't have anyone else, I think you're my best friend… unless you count Kikyo," she said, and the two laughed for a moment.

"Yeah, you're my best friend too. So you know that means that you can tell me things, you know, like your secrets. And why you suddenly acted so strange for a whole year. I won't tell anyone, you know?"

Kagome opened her mouth, then closed it again, and shook her head. "You want to come over for dinner?" she asked.

"Sure," Sango said, and the two didn't take up any more serious conversation for the rest of the trip.

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Inuyasha walked into the kitchen. "Hey, where did Kagome go?" he asked.

Miroku was still pigging out on the ice cream that Sango had brought. He swallowed a mouthful and spoke. "She left with Sango a few minutes ago."

"Where?"

"They went home," he said, and shoveled more ice cream into his mouth.

"She didn't even say good bye?" Inuyasha said, seemingly hurt.

"Relax. It's not like she's never coming back," came Sesshomaru's voice from the doorway.

"It's not like anyone was asking you," Inuyasha countered.

Miroku stood. "I think that's my cue to leave," he said as the brothers both looked at him. He left the kitchen, and the two brothers discontinued their conversation until they heard the television turn on in the other room.

"What's with you and Kagome?" Inuyasha hissed.

Sesshomaru smirked. So that's what this was about. "I don't believe that's any of your concern," he replied nonchalantly.

"Don't act all uppity with me. You'd better back off or else…" Inuyasha began.

"Or else what?"

"Or else… well you'll regret it. Just stay away from her," Inuyasha threatened.

Sesshomaru inspected his nails to show his boredom. "That's simply terrifying. I'll have to remember to leave her alone, _after_ she has my children," Sesshomaru looked up and smirked.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"You're right, I wouldn't. Not that it would be your business if I did. I seem to remember you already having a girlfriend."

"That has nothing to do with this," Inuyasha hissed.

"It has plenty to do with it. I suggest that you…" Sesshomaru stopped when Miroku entered the kitchen again and growled.

Miroku held up his hands defensively. "Relax," he said. "I'm just getting water."

"Think about it, Inuyasha. It's the Benz or the Porsche. You can have one, but you have no right to own both," Sesshomaru said, then spun on his heel and stepped through the doorway.

"Yeah? Well you don't get either one!" Inuyasha shouted.

"I have no use for either. I can walk," he said.

"You guys were fighting over cars?" Miroku said incredulously.

"What the hell did you think we were fighting over? A girl? Get real!" Inuyasha shouted, and left the kitchen through the other door.

"Actually, I thought you wanted a cell phone…" Miroku muttered.

"I've got one already!" Inuyasha yelled. "Damn it!"

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Sango and Kagome removed their shoes at Kagome's front door. "Mom, I'm home!" she called.

"Kagome?" her mothers voice called. "How is the project coming along?"

Kagome followed her mother's voice into the kitchen. "It's great," she said. "I brought Sango home for dinner. I hope that's all right with you. I'm sorry I didn't ask sooner."

"That's great, honey. Souta just called to say that he was staying at a friend's house tonight, so we have extra. And Sango, it's nice to see you again."

"Who's Souta?" Sango asked.

"My little brother. He can be a pain sometimes, but usually he's pretty cool, in that ten year old kind of way," Kagome smiled.

"I know what you mean, I have a little brother too. His name's Kohaku, and he's eleven. Maybe I'll bring him over one day."

"That would be fun," Ms. Higurashi said.

"It would be," Kagome agreed.

Sango sniffed the air. "Mmm… Ms. Higurashi, that smells wonderful. What are you making?" she asked.

Ms. Higurashi smiled. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Now why don't you two go ahead and wash up? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

The girls left the kitchen to do as they were told, and when they returned, a delicious dinner awaited them at the table. "Wow, Ms Higurashi. This is wonderful. I haven't had a meal this good in _ages_," Sango praised her as she came close to finishing.

"Well thank you, Sango. That reminds me. Do you need to use the phone to call your parents? Let them know you're here?" Ms Higurashi asked.

"No, they're out of town. So I doubt they'll even care, plus my brother's spending the night at a friend's house, so he won't know the difference either," Sango said.

"Well, alright then."

"Hey mom, can you pass me the rice?" Kagome asked. Ms. Higurashi paused and looked at Kagome before reaching for the rice bowl. "What?" she asked uncomfortably.

Kagome's mother shook her head. "Nothing. It's just… good to see that you're taking care of yourself again," she said, and handed Kagome the bowl. They ate the rest of dinner in an uncomfortable silence.

"Well," Sango said, standing up. "I think I'd better be heading home now."

"Sango, it's late. Why don't you just stay?" Kagome suggested. They both looked at her mother.

"Well it's fine with me," she said, and started to clear the table.

"Great, you can borrow some of my clothes to sleep in, and we'll wash your uniform tonight so you can have it in the morning," Kagome said, pulling Sango toward her room.

"You're sure that it's no trouble? I think I might need to…" Sango started, but stopped when she saw the expression on Kagome's face.

"Sango, stay. Please," she said seriously.

"Sure…"

Once the girls were in their pajamas, Kagome sat on her bed and folded her hands. "Sango. We need to talk."

"Kagome, what is it? You're making me nervous," Sango said, sitting on the guest bed across from Kagome.

Kagome leaned forward. "Sango, do you still like Koga?"

"Well, I…" Sango started, the question completely catching her off guard.

"Because there's something about him that you need to know. You asked about the incident, and I'm going to tell you. Koga is very much involved, and…" Kagome rambled.

"Kagome. You're shaking. Just calm down. If you don't want to talk about it, then…"

"No," she insisted. Now. I have to tell you now, before things get…before… listen, you just need to know, Sango, okay?"

"Well, okay then…"

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With the second year coming to an end, and the third year close in sight, what will happen with Kagome? And _why _has her father contacted her after so long? What could he possibly want, after almost never being around during her childhood, then disappearing when she needed him most? More importantly, what the heck is the pairing supposed to be?

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**Author's Note: **Okay, well… not much of a cliffhanger, but… things are going to start picking up again. I needed this chapter as a filler. Too much action in too little amount of time is just over doing it, I think.

** Reviewers: **As usual, thank you all _so_ much! You're the reason I keep writing, even though half the time, I can't _stand_ what I'm posting.

That's a secret, **toxiclollipop**! But in the next few chapters, I'm pretty sure it'll turn out to be pretty obvious.

Thanks, **hermonine, Okane-tsuki, and Kouga's #1 fan**! I tried to get this one out quicker.

Thank you, **Sesshoumaru's Miko**. And if my mom knew you, I'm sure she'd thank you too!

I think something about my story makes people hyper, **vashlvr**… is that weird? As for the pairing, you'll all find out soon!

(Stares at **caramelcutie567**) Thanks for trying to mess up my plot! Ah I'm just kidding. I actually considered doing something like that, but I wasn't quite sure how to incorporate it, plus I felt that it might mess things up later on. I hope this worked out a little better, though!

I actually told her, **lil mutt face grl**. And after I told her I really didn't know anyone named Amy, my mom just shook her head and said, "Well… thanks, I guess…"

Thanks, **Blue-Moon Sky**. You know, nothing annoys me more than bad grammar in writing, so I'm glad I'm not one of those people… arrghh… As for the length of the story, I actually intended on ending it in 10-15 chapters, but seeing as how I've dug myself into a hole, I'm going to be forced to lengthen it to closer to 20. Lucky for you!

They both are good, huh, **artificialmissery**? But there's one in this story that I favor more for her. I personally like both pairings, but sometimes, it just works better one way than the other, depending on the situation.

Suspense, drama and tension. That is my life, **Kitsune Diva**. So I suppose that's why it comes out so much in this story… the romance… -ahem-… well uh… that's another story…--;

You… you… you…_kitten shitter!_ As for the rest, **Paparate**, I don't think I want to know…

You know, **Lady Desdemona**, I've only read a few pages of the first _Harry Potter_ book, and that was when a kid asked me to read it to them. But I'm assuming that it's a good thing that you would stop reading a book that costs like $20 to read something free! People like you make me so happy!

I think it's so strange that people are even reading this, let alone re-reading it, **Anime-Lover09**. I'll be sure to check out your story. I'm sure it can't be all that bad, and I'm not against helping you edit if you want. I'm sure that's all you could possibly need.

Actually, **TokyoPrincess**, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. (Kagomesdadwillplayahugepartinthisstory.bythatidontmeanthathellbeinitalotbutthatmeansthathewillchangehowkagomeseesherlifebothpresentandpast) Wow that was hard to type…the space bar is your friend!

Until next time…

**Empty _"why don't my blinds keep the sunshine out?"_ Spirit**


	12. This Ain't Over!

**Author's Note: **When I was writing this chapter, and I was going back through the story to check details, I just realized that I called the last chapter "Chapter 10", even though it was really Chapter 11. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. I'd also like to apologize for the insane amount of OOCness, but I had to do something about the plot so I could fit the things in later that I wanted. Anyway, I'll stop before I ruin the whole chapter.

**Chapter 12: This ain't over!**

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_Dear Kagome,_

_ How are you? How is school going for you? How is the weather down in Tokyo? How are your friends doing? And your mother? How is Souta doing? I hope everything is going well for you._

_ As for me, business has been booming up here in Osaka. For a while, it seemed like we were the only business in Osaka. Every day, we had at least 15 new cases brought to us, it seemed. But I think things are starting to calm down. Now that the rainy season is over, there have been fewer traffic accidents, and as a result, fewer people trying to sue each other. _

_Lucky me, huh? For a while, I was getting tired of being swamped with all that paper work. I'd been meaning to contact you for a while, but I just never seemed to have the time. And now that I do, I was wondering if you were interested in coming to Osaka to spend some time with me? There are a few people I want you to meet, and I'd like for you to get acquainted with the business._

_Anyway, I need to get back to my work. I'd appreciate it if you'd get back to me as soon as you can, so I can schedule a flight for you to come meet me._

_Dad._

The bottom of the letter listed various phone numbers, a return address, and an email address for Kagome to reach him by. Not that she had any intention of contacting him anyway. "Asshole," Kagome muttered to herself.

Sango stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in her school uniform, and drying her hair. "I'm all done, Kagome. You go ahead," she said, then noticed the paper Kagome held in her hands. "Hey, is that the letter from your father?" she asked.

"This is the letter from Mr. Watase," she affirmed. She crumbled it up and tossed it on the floor, grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf and walking into the bathroom. As she reached the threshold of the door, she turned around and looked at Sango. "Oh, you can read it if you want," she said, and slammed the door behind her.

Kagome's reaction confused Sango. _Mr. Watase? What was that supposed to mean?_ Sango read the letter and tried to figure out what in it had made Kagome so upset. She read and re-read it. What could her father have possibly written to make her so upset?

That was when it hit her. It wasn't what was written in the letter, it was what _wasn't_ in the letter. After disappearing from her life at a time that she needed him most, and not contacting her for two years, there was not an ounce of emotion in the letter. Not a single "I love you", "I'm sorry", or even a measly "I miss you". It was a business letter, not a letter from a father to his daughter after leaving for two years. _Poor Kagome_ was the only thing that crossed Sango's mind.

Kagome stepped out of the bathroom, steam and the smell of scented body wash flowing out after her. "I'm sorry," Sango said, avoiding eye contact with Kagome.

Kagome looked surprised. "What? Sorry?"

"I just never knew. I was so insensitive, and I…"

"Forget it. It's not your fault." Sango went to speak again, but Kagome interrupted her. "Let's just go have breakfast, okay?" Sango nodded and followed Kagome into the dining room.

After they finished breakfast, the girls left for school. When they arrived, many of their classmates sent them wary glances and a few whispered amongst themselves. It was a rare occurrence to see Kagome arrive at school with anyone, let alone Sango. "Ignore them, Kagome," Sango said in a hushed tone.

They walked together to Sango's locker, chatting idly about this and that. Sango began to spin the combination lock that kept said locker closed. "So anyway, I was thinking…" she said as she tugged on the handle. "Damn it. I hate when this happens," she said, and, irritated, she entered the combination again. "Ah, there we go," she said as the stubborn locker finally opened. She tossed in her bag, which was previously slung over her shoulder, and looked at Kagome out of the corner of her eye before she commenced to search for the necessary items for first period. "So like I was saying…"

"Yo! Sango!" a familiar voice called. Sango sighed before she turned around, then glanced at Kagome, who had stiffened in something like panic.

She watched the boy shuffle through the students in between them, trying to close the distance between them. She shook her head in dismay as he turned his lips upward toward any female who cast him an appreciative glance. He even went so far as to wink one blue eye at one of them.

"What do you want, Koga?" Sango practically growled, glancing at Arashi, who had followed up behind him.

"Whoa, there. No need to get hostile so early in the morning," he said, holding up his hands defensively. "What's with the bitch?" he asked, and grinned playfully, gesturing toward Kagome.

Sango's voice froze in her throat. She didn't know what to say at this point. She glanced between Koga and Kagome several times, then opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again.

"It's okay, Sango. I'll just go," Kagome offered, and started to walk away.

"And good riddance," Koga spat.

Sango made up her mind. "Kagome, wait. He'll be gone in a second anyway," Sango said, and glared at Koga, hoping that he'd get the message. He, of course, didn't.

"Sango, what the hell is going on? You hanging out with whores now?" he sneered.

"No, I'm not," she spat.

"What's your deal, Sango? I thought you hated that bitch," Koga said.

"Don't talk about Kagome that way, asshole," Sango countered. "Apologize to her, right now."

By now, they were drawing a considerable crowd of nosy onlookers.

Koga looked at Sango, obviously confused. "Alright then. Sorry, Kag_ho_me," he said, and grinned before turning to give Arashi a high-five.

"Koga, I'm going to give you three seconds to apologize for that as well," Sango warned.

"Sango, seriously. I came over to ask you something. What the hell is your problem?"

"Koga…"

"What, is it _hug the whore week_ or something?" Koga laughed, and a few kids out of the crowd joined in on his cruel laughter.

"Three…"

Koga just stared at her. "You can't be serious."

"Try me," Sango said.

"You're joking right?"

"Two… Your three seconds are almost up."

Koga waved his arms in fake desperation. "No! Please! Give me like five seconds! No, ten! Please, Sango!"

"That's it, Koga. One, bitch," Sango said, and before anyone even knew she moved, the center of Koga's shirt was in a tight ball, clenched in Sango's hand. "Say your prayers, asshole," was all she said before she began to pummel him, planting a fast right hook straight across his left cheekbone.

Koga managed to wrench free of her grasp, and shoved her hard backwards. Kagome could almost see the stars in front of Sango's eyes as her head bounced off of the metal lockers behind her. "What the fuck is your problem?" he shouted, as he began to advance on Sango menacingly.

Knowing that Koga had no problem with hitting girls, Kagome jumped in between the two of them. "Stop it, Koga! You don't want to…"

"Fuck off!" He said, and backhanded her to the ground.

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"I still don't believe you two were fighting over cars yesterday. I mean what's up with that?" Miroku said as he and Inuyasha made their way up the stairs to the inside of the school.

"Get over it, Miroku. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Inuyasha responded.

"I don't see the difference. I mean either one's fine, right?"

Inuyasha stopped and stared at him. "Miroku, you don't get it, do you? K- I mean, they're both very special to me, alright?"

"Whatever you say, Inuyasha," Miroku said, shaking his head. They started walking again. "So like I was saying before, I was wondering if you knew about…"

"Hey… look up there, Miroku. What do you think's going on?" Inuyasha interrupted, gesturing to a growing crowd surrounding the lockers.

"I don't know, but it can't be anything good," Miroku said.

"It's probably just some idiot…"

"What the fuck is your problem?" shouted a familiar voice.

Inuyasha and Miroku glanced at each other. There was a mad shuffle before they heard the next voice. "Koga, stop it! You don't want to…" Inuyasha and Miroku shoved violently through the crowd.

Inuyasha arrived toward the front in just enough time to see Koga backhand Kagome and see her crumble to the floor. By then, he was only seeing red. He stepped forward, only stopping when Miroku grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from beating Koga into the ground. "What are you doing? Let go of me, you idiot!" Inuyasha hissed.

Miroku, who was still behind Inuyasha, hadn't seen what had happened. He looked around him, and saw Kagome struggling to get up from the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as Koga stepped past her and toward Sango, who leaned against the lockers, blinking rapidly as if to clear her vision.

Kagome scrambled to her feet, and grabbed at Koga's shirt, trying to stop him before he hurt Sango. He swung around, knocking Kagome off balance and nearly sending her flying to the floor again. "Koga, just stop it, okay? Have you been drinking again?" she asked. "Just calm down, don't do anything you'll regret, alright?" she cautioned, trying to reason with him.

"What I do is _none _of your business," Koga snarled. Apparently, he was drunk. Again. He pulled back his fist as if he was about to hit her, but she lunged at him and grabbed his forearm, preventing him from completing the move. When he tried to swing with his other hand, she ducked under it, grabbing that arm as well. She wasn't strong enough to hold onto him, and she knew that, but she was going to try anyway. He instead brought his knee up into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and shoving her to the ground again. Kagome took a knee and braced herself as she thought he was going to brutally kick her, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to Sango, who started cursing him again.

"Koga, you asshole. Leave Kagome alone! She never did anything to you. It's me who just cracked you across your face, bitch!" Sango shouted, still leaning against the lockers for support.

Inuyasha finally made it through the rest of the crowd and rushed to Kagome's aid. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. Don't worry about me," she coughed, struggling for air.

Koga stepped up to Sango and gave her a taste of her own medicine: a right hook, firmly planted across her face. But he didn't stop there. He continued to take swing after clumsy swing, as Sango attempted dizzily to block or dodge his blows, only halfway succeeding. He threw a clumsy fist at her, which she easily ducked under. His momentum threw him off balance and his fist landed on the locker behind her.

Sango punched him square in the jaw, sending him staggering back a few steps. She started to advance on him, when she felt a strong set of hands, coming from her right, shove her back into the lockers. She looked up to see Arashi coming after her, and couldn't believe this was all happening. She managed to re-focus herself as he rushed her again, obviously intending to pin her against the lockers. She hesitated for a second, placing her hand on the lockers behind her to keep her balance, then kicked him in the center of his chest, forcing him to stagger back a few feet, where Miroku managed to grab him in a choke hold, momentarily disabling him.

She turned her attention back to Koga, who was already advancing on her. She jumped and attempted a roundhouse kick aimed at Koga, who caught her ankle inches from his face and pulled up, hard, so she fell hard on the ground beneath her. He stood over her, and glared down at her. "You're going to regret ever…" then suddenly, he flew toward the lockers, right over Sango, with Inuyasha at his heels. Before he got the chance to turn around, Inuyasha was already on his back, and grabbed a handful of his hair before snapping his head back and banging his face into the locker three times.

Koga swung wildly behind him and managed to catch a piece of Inuyasha's jaw, sending him staggering backwards two steps. Koga spun around, wiping blood from under his nose. "What are you doing, Inuyasha? This has nothing to do with you!"

"It has plenty to do with me if you're attacking my friends, ass hole!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Back off before someone gets hurt," Koga threatened.

"Damn straight someone's gonna get hurt! That someone's about to be you!" Inuyasha shouted, lunging for Koga once again. This time, Koga was more prepared and dodged Inuyasha's wild punch to the right, and shoved Inuyasha past him, knocking him hard on the ground. He jumped and pinned Inuyasha on the ground, pressing his knees hard into Inuyasha's biceps. Inuyasha was starting to lose his vision when he suddenly saw a flash of dark blue, as Miroku tackled Koga to the ground, struggling to land a decent punch on his face.

Arashi, who was now free, attempted to go after Miroku once more, but Kagome, with surprising strength, kicked him, hard across the shins, sending him crashing helplessly to the ground. Sango took the opportunity to jump on his back and grab onto him in a WWE-style stranglehold. A girl with blonde hair tackled Sango off of him, and started wildly throwing punches at Sango, who was pinned beneath her on the ground. "Sango!" Kagome shouted, lunging for her, when a boy with curly brown hair grabbed her from behind. She recognized him from the night that she'd almost gotten jumped on the street after leaving Inuyasha's house.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said in her ear, holding her uncomfortably close to his chest.

"Let go of me!" she cried, and struggled against his grip, but to no avail as he wrapped his arm part way across her neck, cutting off most of her air supply.

Sango swung wildly at the girl on top of her, and managed to throw her off. Now that she had the upper hand, Sango began to pummel her with well-aimed fists as the girl made a feeble attempt at fighting back.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha ad managed to pry Koga off of Miroku and drag him to his feet, holding his arms behind him, giving Miroku the perfect opportunity to give Koga a hard shot in the face, when Arashi managed to grab Miroku from behind. Koga brought both feet up, using Inuyasha as leverage, and double-kicked Miroku right in the chest, sending both Miroku and Arashi crashing to the floor.

Inuyasha released him in surprise, then Koga turned and threw a wild punch at Inuyasha's face, which he managed to block. Inuyasha lunged at Koga, and he dodged at the last second again, shoving Inuyasha past him, who dropped to the ground and swung his legs at the back of Koga's knees, sending him flying to the ground. Inuyasha scrambled to his feet and pressed his shoe on Koga's throat, applying more pressure with every second. It was all he could do to prevent himself from breaking Koga's neck then and there.

"And where the hell do you get off thinking it's okay to hit girls?" Inuyasha shouted. Koga grabbed wildly at Inuyasha's foot as he started to lose his ability to breathe.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha looked up and loosened his hold on Koga, only slightly.

"Kagome," he called back. "Are you…"

The guy holding onto Kagome interrupted him, then all at once released her, making his way down the hallway. Miroku and Sango were already making their way in the direction. "Hey!" Inuyasha shouted. "Where are you guys…"

"Someone's coming! Run!" Miroku shouted over his shoulder. The crowd all at once started to disperse, scrambling off in different directions, trying to shove each other out of the way.

Inuyasha immediately released Koga, who scrambled to his feet and started to make his way down the hallway at top speed. "This ain't over!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Inuyasha ignored it, and spun around to face Kagome, who was coughing and holding onto her throat. He grabbed her wrist and started to pull her along with him. "Come on, Kagome! We need to get out of here!" he said, as she lagged behind him. She was having trouble breathing, and kept coughing, so she wasn't moving as quickly as he would have liked. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw that if they didn't get a move-on, they would get caught, and in all kinds of trouble for fighting on campus.

He pulled her around a corner, then into the janitor's closet. Kagome shut the door behind her, and leaned her back against it. She was surprised when Inuyasha closed the distance between them, and, leaning over her, placed his hands on either side of her on the door, and peered through a small slot above her head. She held her breath as she heard a set of footsteps pass by the door, and when she was sure they were gone, she let out a breath of relief. Or, she would have, had Inuyasha not been standing so close to her, looking at her the way he was.

Kagome finally broke the silence. "What now?" she said.

Inuyasha looked at her, somewhat startled at the sound of her voice, as if he had just now realized she was in there with him. "Well, I think we should wait a few more minutes and…" he trailed off, looking over her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but… I could ask you the same question," Kagome whispered as Inuyasha leaned in toward her. She ducked underneath his arm, and grabbed a small white box. "Look," she said. "Here's a first aid kit."

The two tended to their wounds, and Kagome walked cautiously to the door, and pressed her ear against the cheap, wood-like material, trying to hear any noise in the hallway. "I think the coast is…" Kagome started when Inuyasha lunged forward and quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh… do you hear that? Someone's still out there," he whispered, leaning over her again to peer through the slot again. Sure enough, the voices of two people could be heard as they walked past. "Okay, now let's go," he said, reaching for the doorknob, but Kagome grabbed his wrist.

"Wait a minute, Inuyasha. It's not like we can go to class like this! We're covered in blood still, see?" she said, motioning to their clothing.

"Well we need to get out of here before someone finds us!"

"Where are we going to go?"

"I don't know, but…" Inuyasha stopped, then noticed a box of clothes in the corner labeled 'lost and found'. Obviously, it was clothing that the janitor had picked up, but hadn't gotten around to putting in the office. "Why don't we put those on, and then get out of here?" he suggested. But that didn't turn out to be the best idea. People had obviously lost these clothes for a reason.

The only thing Inuyasha could find was a pair of gray gym shorts, which hovered a good six inches above his knees, and a faded black t-shirt that read 'Ki s m I' Ja n se'. Apparently, before the letters faded away in the dryer, it used to say 'Kiss me, I'm Japanese.' Kagome managed to find an over-sized white shirt that hung almost to her knees, and a too-large pair of red pants. Inuyasha sighed, but at least they could get outside without anyone suspecting them of anything but terrible fashion sense.

Inuyasha reached out and tucked a strand of unruly hair behind Kagome's ear, and rested his hand on her cheek.

"What now, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, blushing at the intimate gesture.

He slowly pulled his hand away from her cheek and grinned, taking her hand in his. "Kagome, let's take the day off."

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**Author's Note: **I had originally intended for Sango to just punch Koga and that be the end of it, but, as you can see, things just got totally out of hand. Anyway, I've never written a fight scene before, so please tell me how you think I did. Also, I felt that I needed to establish Koga's drinking problem, so I can use that later on in the story to help explain things. It will become somewhat important, but that's all that I'm going to tell you guys!

I still didn't get to explain what's the deal with her father, but I will!

**Reviewers: **As usual, I want to thank the reviewers for taking the time to review my story. As fate would have it, I have gotten tired of responding to all of them. If I think there's a question that really needs answering, then I promise that I will answer it. I think that this chapter I just don't feel like going through all the effort. I'm in a lazy mood. Rest assured, that I still did receive, and read your review, and I still appreciate it very much. Thank you.


	13. What Are You Doing?

** Author's Note: **I've decided that rather than this being a "favorite story", I'd like to be a "favorite author". Therefore, I feel that I need to write more stories. And I will. Yes. I really will. I'm determined.

Well, I'll do it eventually. ;

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"Let's take the day off!" Inuyasha repeated excitedly. Kagome, at a loss for words, only nodded in response. A second later, she was being dragged down the hallway by her hand. She looked down at her hand clasped in his and blushed, but made no move to remove it.

Soon after, they had arrived at Inuyasha's house. "What are we doing here?" Kagome asked.

"Well it's not like we can walk around like this, you know," he said, leading her to his room.

"Um, well… I don't have any clothes…"

"Sure you do. Just throw your uniform in the laundry," Inuyasha said.

"No way. People will know we're ditching school if I'm in uniform. We'll have to stay here."

"Inuyasha, you never returned Kagome's clothes from that night she attended the party with us," came Sesshomaru's voice.

"Who asked you?" Inuyasha countered.

"No need to be so hostile. I was merely trying to help," Sesshomaru said.

"Thanks, Sesshomaru," Kagome said.

Sesshomaru merely nodded. "What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Well something happened at school and…" Kagome started

"None of your business, Sesshomaru. Get out," Inuyasha commanded.

"Inuyasha? Is that you?" came a feminine voice from down the hall.

"Kikyo?" Inuyasha said, half to himself. "If you'll excuse me, Kagome," Inuyasha said, and left the room to find Kikyo.

"What's Kikyo doing…" Kagome started, when Inuyasha's head reappeared in the doorway.

"Oh, and Sesshomaru, get the hell out of my room," Inuyasha said, and disappeared again down the hallway.

"Anyway," Kagome said, looking at Sesshomaru, who hadn't budged, "what's Kikyo still doing here? I thought she was going back to Osaka?"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "She missed her flight, so she's staying for a few more days."

"Oh…"

"Does that bother you?"

"Of course not," Kagome said as an uncomfortable silence settled between the two.

"Well, um… do you think you could get my clothes for me?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru nodded, and gestured for her to follow. "They're in my room."

"Oh… uh… okay…" Kagome followed Sesshomaru down the hall, then stopped right outside of his doorway. "Is uh… is anyone else here, you know, besides us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like do you have any friends over?" Kagome asked nervously.

"I don't."

"Good," she sighed, then followed him into his room, looking around curiously. It was pretty much the same as before. His bookshelf towered over his desk, which held a sleek black laptop. Fingering the laptop, she dared to ask the question she'd been dying to ask for a while. "So, Sesshomaru… I haven't seen Naraku around for a while…what happened to him?"

"I would rather that he wasn't around anymore," Sesshomaru said, his back to her as he rummaged through his closet.

"Oh… why is that?" she asked, turning her attention to his bookshelf.

She felt him turn and look at her profile for a moment, but she fought the urge to return his stare. Eventually, he turned back to the closet to continue his search. "I have my reasons," was his only answer.

"I see…" It was Kagome's turn to look at Sesshomaru's back. "You know, I…"

"Yes?"

"You're not like a lot of guys that I know."

"Really…" Sesshomaru said uninterestedly, turning to face Kagome, with a medium sized box in his hand. "How is that?"

"Well you're just so… quiet, and… mature, you know? Not to mention downright scary. I mean sheesh! I'd hate to be on your bad side," Kagome laughed nervously. "How old are you anyway, Sesshomaru?"

"Just turned twenty one," he answered. "And your age would be…"

"What? Oh. I turn seventeen in less than a month."

Sesshomaru silently handed Kagome the box, and she opened it, revealing her clothes, neatly folded, ironed, and washed. "Hey thanks… did you do all of this?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru nodded, then ushered her into the bathroom. "Bathe yourself. There are fresh towels in there, and feel free to use any of the soaps you find."

"Is this some kind of hint?" Kagome asked, eying him crossly.

"Yes. It is."

"Well I'll have you know that I…" Kagome was cut off as he pushed her all the way inside of the restroom and shut the door.

"I'm going to get your uniform so I can wash that too. Take your time," Sesshomaru said. It was only after she looked in the mirror that she noticed how horrible she still looked, even after changing her clothes at school.

She shook her head, and mentally scolded Inuyasha for allowing her to go out in public the way she looked. She waited for the sound of the bedroom door being softly pulled shut before she undressed and took her shower.

She stepped out a while later, and, feeling refreshed, after drying her hair and dressing herself, she walked back into Sesshomaru's bedroom and flopped across his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Watcha doin'?" she asked.

"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru asked, ignoring Kagome's previous question.

"Well, I just took a shower and…"

"I mean why aren't you and Inuyasha at school?"

"Oh, well you see, there was this big fight and…" Kagome trailed off, telling Sesshomaru the whole story.

"So you decided not to go back to class?"

"Yep."

"I was wondering why your uniform was so dirty."

"Well, now you know, I guess."

"I guess I do."

The two sat in silence and Sesshomaru pretty much ignored her while he typed on his keyboard. Kagome ran out of interesting things to stare at on the ceiling, so she attempted to make conversation with Sesshomaru again.

"I'm bored," she said, hoping to get his attention.

It worked…well, kind of. "I'm busy."

Kagome sighed. So much for conversation. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"He's probably still with Kikyo."

"Oh."

"I'm finished," Sesshomaru said, closing his laptop and turning to face Kagome.

"Oh? With what?"

"Come. We're leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"We're going out. Now," Sesshomaru said, and held his bedroom door open for her, signaling her to leave the room and follow him.

"Well where are we going? I need to tell Inuyasha," Kagome insisted, making her way to the door, and stopping right underneath the threshold.

"You don't need to tell him anything. We're leaving. Now," he commanded again, and this time, he rested his hand on the small of her back as he lightly pushed her through the doorway, closing the door behind him

"Well I guess I don't…"

"Good. Get your shoes. You still owe me that date."

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"So where do you think Inuyasha and Kagome went?" Sango asked, as she threw yet another pebble into the pond which she and Miroku were sitting by.

"Who knows? Maybe they went back to his place, so they could be _alone_," Miroku suggested, stressing the last word so as to get his double meaning across. He leaned back in the soft grass, and put his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky.

"I kind of doubt that," Sango said.

"Well, hey. I mean, you never know. Kikyo left today, didn't she? What's stopping them?"

"Yeah, but I don't think Kagome's that kind of girl."

"I guess you're right."

"Yeah…" Sango said, and leaned back in the grass beside Miroku. "So. What should we do for the rest of the day?"

Miroku looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Well I have an idea, but I don't know that you'd be up to it."

"What's your idea?" Sango asked, turning to face him.

Miroku faced Sango and put his hand on her hip. "I think you know," he said softly.

"No, I don't," Sango said, and leaned in closer to him.

Miroku took the opportunity to get closer to Sango. "Well, I could…" he said, reaching around her to caress her backside.

"You could what…?"

"Well, uh…We could always go…" Miroku moved closer to Sango, his eyes fluttering closed, preparing to kiss her.

But Sango had other plans. She smacked him in the forehead, and then stood up. "That's a great idea, Miroku. But first we need to change. I can't go to the amusement park dressed in these dirty clothes," Sango said, gesturing to her soiled uniform. "Besides, people have been staring at us. We look horrible."

"Amusement park? That's… not exactly what I had in mind…" Miroku complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Sure it is! Oh, and… thanks for offering to pay for me. You really are too generous," Sango said, and smiled.

Miroku just shook his head and followed Sango to her house, where he waited _patiently_ in her living room as she showered and changed into a different outfit. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go to Inuyasha's place," Sango said, and grabbed a small bag to carry with her.

"Can you believe that pretty soon, we'll be starting our last year of high school?" Sango said.

"I know. Amazing isn't it? And the year after that, we're all going to be going off to college."

"It's weird, because like, we've hardly even all hung out together that much until this year. Too bad it's all going to end so soon."

"Hey, cheer up! We still have another year ahead of us, at least."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sango said. They continued the walk just chatting. Sango, of course, kept her distance.

They finally made it to Inuyasha's house, and Miroku unlocked the door and let the two of them in. "You have a _key_?" Sango asked incredulously.

"Sure do. I asked Sesshomaru to make me a copy, and he just gave one to me."

"Weird."

"Not really. We're practically brothers!"

"I seriously doubt that Sesshomaru feels the same." Miroku just shrugged.

"Anyway, you can just wait out here or whatever while I take a shower," Miroku said, gesturing to the room they were standing in, as the two removed their shoes. "That is, unless you want to join me," he said, and smiled mischievously.

All that did was earn him a nice slap in the back of the head. "Just… hurry up, will you?" Sango said, and sat on the couch, watching Miroku make his way down the hall.

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If there was one thing Kagome despised more than skim milk, it was public transportation in the middle of the day. Somehow, it seemed logical that all of the perverted scumbags of the world would disgrace the public transportation system in the deep hours of the night. No. They did it during the middle of the day, when Kagome usually tried to avoid taking trains and subways. She tried to avoid eye contact with any potential harassers, but to no avail. She already saw a greasy-looking teenage boy with bleached hair and about nine too many piercings in his face making his way toward her.

She sighed inwardly and hoped that he was looking at someone directly behind her. He was probably a middle school dropout looking to score some with her. "Hey sweetheart," he said, stopping a few inches from in front of her. "You look a little down. I've got a place a few blocks from here, if you want me to try and cheer you up."

Kagome pretended not to notice him, hoping that he would take the hint and leave. He didn't, obviously. He took a hold of her left wrist and yanked her toward him. "Hey bitch. I'm talking to you."

"Let me go," Kagome pleaded, trying to pull away from him.

"But I could show you a real good time, baby," he said.

"Is this guy bothering you, Hun?" came a voice off of Kagome's right shoulder.

"How about you mind your own business, ass hole?" The boy holding onto Kagome said.

Kagome didn't look behind her as she felt an arm snake around her waist. She pulled her arm forward, preparing to crack the guy across the jaw with her elbow, when she felt him pull her away from the boy holding her wrist. "I suggest that you leave my girlfriend alone, before things get ugly," the man behind her growled.

Suddenly, she recognized the voice and turned around. "Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome, who was still in his arms, then at the boy who was harassing her. "Girlfriend, huh? Well I…" Sesshomaru glared at the boy, growling slightly. "I was… just kidding, you know?" the boy laughed nervously, then slowly backed away. "I'll be seein' ya!" he said, and pushed through the crowd on the train, getting as far away from the two as he could.

Sesshomaru kept his arm around Kagome, even after the threat was gone. Kagome looked up at him until he returned her gaze. "Girlfriend, huh?" she asked, with a smile tugging at her lips. Sesshomaru just shrugged, and looked away again, a slight color warming his cheeks.

_Girlfriend…_ _I kind of…like the sound of that._

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**Author's Note:** Hmm…. Short chapter. Short, crappy chapter. I hope I don't lose any fans over this. I just need to start filling up some time before the _major_ things happen, so the story actually makes sense.

I actually finished this about a week ago. I was just too afraid to post it. Please tell me what you thought of it.

It actually would have been longer, but I had to remove a good four pages because somehow, I just started typing fluff. Like, a crazy amount of it. Four pages worth, in fact. I kind of liked where it was going, but… it wouldn't have worked in this chapter, because… because well, I didn't want it yet. But I will use it later. Like... five chapters in the future. Maybe more, maybe less. This story just seems to want to make itself longer and longer. Good/ bad for you? You decide.

**To the Reviewers:** Yes. That was my first fight scene, ever. I swear it. And uh… I've had a lot of indecision about how I want to end this story, so that's why I pretty much have been leaving the end of each chapter open. But I think I have a good idea of where I'm going with this, so… yeah. Expect the important stuff, and soon.

Oh yeah. And, check out my Xanga. I'm seriously going to start updating it. I'll have previews of the next chapter, details on my progress of each chapter, and maybe I'll even post parts of the next chapter, or whatever. So just somehow let me know that you've gone to see it, so I don't feel like it's a wasted effort. Email me, leave me a comment, or just say hello in the chatterbox. Thanks.

Also, do review this chapter. Questions/ comments/ suggestions are certainly welcome.


	14. It's Only For Pretend

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry this took so long to come out. I'm really working on trying to produce this faster. The story should start picking up soon, I hope.

**Chapter 14: **It's only for pretend.

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_Standing here on the train with Sesshomaru holding me so closely just feels… strange. It's like, in a way, it feels very forced. But then, in another, completely different way, it feels comfortable, almost natural, even. I mean, is there some sort of meaning behind his actions? Or is he acting this way, just because he feels like it? (I, for one, wouldn't put it past him.) And then, I still can't tell whether I should pull away or not. I mean, it was noble of him and all to protect me from that jerk, but, I just don't know how to take it._

_And is it just me, or does it seem like this train is swaying a bit more than usual? Because I feel like I'm getting an insane amount of butterflies in my stomach._

When Kagome and Sesshomaru finally left the train, he had taken her hand in his, pulling him along behind her.

"Sesshomaru, where are we going?" Kagome asked.

"Don't worry about it," he responded.

"But I'd like to know. I mean, I'm not exactly dressed to somewhere fancy, so we could stop by my house or something if…"

"You wanted to go somewhere fancy?" he interrupted.

"No, it's just that…"

"You're right. We'll go somewhere nice. Where do you live?"

"But I didn't mean…"

"You're afraid to show me where you live?"

"No, I…"

"You don't want to go with…"

"Will you just shut up and stop putting words in my mouth?" Kagome snapped. Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrow at her, his face otherwise expressionless. "I didn't mean that, I…" Kagome automatically corrected her 'error', pausing nervously.

Sesshomaru shook his head, as if to excuse her outburst. She stood in silence for a moment, just looking at him, and anticipating something bad happening. But nothing did. He didn't scold her, or strike her. And he didn't walk away from her. She only felt his grip on her hand tighten a bit. "Exactly what then, did you mean?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I meant that… well… you… I guess you really don't need to do all of this for me. I mean, it's nice and all, but…" Kagome lightly pulled her hand from his, and ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

"You don't want to date me?"

"That's not what I said. You're just… being too nice, I guess."

"And there's a problem with that?"

"No! Of course not!" Kagome responded, a little too hastily.

"Then what are you trying to say?"

"Well, I mean, you wouldn't do this for anyone else… I don't deserve all of this."

Sesshomaru paused, and for a moment, it seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then he stopped himself. "Where do you live, Kagome?"

_For some reason, the way he said my name… it sent shivers down my spine… No… it couldn't have…it must be… the wind…_ "This way," Kagome said, and they walked together towards her house.

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Kikyo and Inuyasha were still in Kikyo's room when Miroku and Sango showed up. When Inuyasha was visiting with Kikyo, he had momentarily forgotten about Kagome's existence.

When the two heard the front door open and close for the second time, Inuyasha decided to see what was going on. He entered the kitchen to find Sango rummaging through the cupboard, obviously looking for food. "Hey, Sango. Did Sesshomaru let you in?"

Sango, with a mouthful of chips, shook her head. "Kagome then? Where is she?" he asked.

Sango swallowed the chips. "Nope. Miroku let me in."

"He has a key?"

Sango shrugged, and turned her back to Inuyasha again, reaching into the cupboard for a pack of Ramen.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked seriously.

"I don't know… I thought she was with you," Sango said.

"She was, but…"

Just then, Miroku entered the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, towel drying his hair. "Hey, Inuyasha, I didn't know you were home. Sango and I were thinking of spending the rest of the day at the local amusement park. Would you like to come along? You can bring Kag- I mean, Kikyo. Your lovely girlfriend," he said, and grinned.

"I'm sure Kagome would like to…" Inuyasha started.

"Helloooo, Kikyo," Miroku drawled, purposely cutting Inuyasha off.

"Good afternoon, Miroku. Or is it still morning?" Kikyo said politely.

"Ten o' clock."

"Good morning, then," Kikyo said, and smiled lightly.

"Right," Miroku said, nodding and smiling. "So, as I was saying, Sango and I were going to spend the rest of the day at the amusement park. Would the two of you like to go with us? It can be like a double date," he said, putting his arm happily around Sango's shoulders.

Sango pinched the back of his hand, twisting the skin painfully. "A _single_ date. They're on a date. We're not. You just owe me."

Miroku sighed dejectedly. "Anyway, you guys in?"

"I don't know, we can't just…" Inuyasha trailed off.

"Kagome's not here. I already looked, and her shoes aren't by the front door," Kikyo interrupted.

"Well it's not like I was worried about her or anything," Inuyasha said, folding his arms stubbornly across his chest.

"Of course not," Kikyo said patronizingly. "Anyway, we'd love to go." Inuaysha grunted. Kikyo looked at him before she continued. "Besides. Maybe we'll see Kagome there."

"You think so?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's possible," Miroku added.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt, then…"

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Sesshomaru and Kagome walked toward her house in a slightly uncomfortable silence. "Wait. I'd like to stop here," he said suddenly, gesturing across the street.

Kagome and Sesshomaru walked toward the small cluster of stores across the street, where Sesshomaru ended up buying a navy blue dress shirt, along with a pair of black dress pants. After finding that the place didn't sell shoes, they walked further into what they discovered to be a small outdoor mall.

They just walked around for a while, window shopping in awkward silence until a dress on one of the mannequins in a window caught her eye. She did a quick double take, and Sesshomaru noticed, glancing in the same direction as Kagome.

He concluded that she must have been looking at the dress, and directed her back in front of the window so that the two of them could get a closer look. It was a form- fitting dress, going down to a few inches above the knee with a design of small black flowers going around the entire dress in a thin line about an inch above the bottom hemline. It had long, black form- fitting sleeves as well.

Kagome admired it in silent awe before turning to leave. Surely, she couldn't afford that dress and the fancy black heels that went along with it.

"That dress… would look very nice on you, you know," Sesshomaru said, without thinking. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking before he spoke, yet again.

Kagome turned around and looked at the dress again, then at Sesshomaru. "I doubt it. Besides, I really don't think I can afford something like that," she said.

"I'll bet it would. Why don't you at least try it on?"

"But our um… uh…" Kagome stuttered – she really didn't want to say the word 'date'. "Weren't we going somewhere? I don't want to waste your time…"

"I'm in no rush to get anywhere. Go ahead," he said.

"But I…" Kagome began to protest. Just then, a group of rowdy teenage boys walked past, and one of them shoved the other into Kagome, spilling his dark red drink all over her shirt and sending her crashing to the ground, tearing a hole in one of the knees on her jeans. "Oh man…" she said to herself, examining her now destroyed outfit and a few small cuts on her knees.

"Oh my gosh… Lady, I'm so sorry. Really, I didn't mean to, I…" he rambled, as he hastily reached for Kagome's wrist to help her to her feet, but Kagome didn't really hear it.

_Lady_, she thought, _but I'm only a few years older than him. He can't be much younger than thirteen_. She looked at Sesshomaru, then back to the boy, who was trying to dry her shirt with a handkerchief. _He must think… that because I'm with Sesshomaru, who certainly looks over twenty, that I must be his age as well_.

Sesshomaru took the boy's arm firmly, but gently and said, "I think she'll be alright. Just go on ahead, I'll take care of her."

"Are you sure? I mean…" he began.

"I'm fine, really. I can tell you didn't do it on purpose, so don't worry about it," Kagome said, and smiled.

The boy looked at him, then back at Kagome before returning to his friends, and quickly walking away from the scene, but not after apologizing at least ten more times.

"Well, I guess you'd better take me home then, so I can change out of this," Kagome said after the boys had left.

"And be seen walking down the street with you looking like that? I think not," Sesshomaru said.

"Well that wasn't very nice. I guess I'll just go home by myself then. Good bye," Kagome said, turning to leave, but Sesshomaru grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"We're going in here," Sesshomaru said, gesturing to the store with the blue dress in the window.

Sesshomaru followed closely behind Kagome, ushering her into the store and telling one of the clerks that she'd like to try on the dress in the window. Kagome found her size on the rack, following the woman to the back of the store where the dressing rooms were. Sesshomaru followed them, and waited outside of the dressing rooms on a bench nearby.

A few minutes later, Kagome emerged from the dressing room wearing the dress. "What do you think?" she asked, doing a short, shy twirl.

"It only matters what you think. Do you like it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I love it, but…"

"But what?" Sesshomaru asked.

Just then, the clerk from before returned to check on Kagome. "You look wonderful in that dress!" she exclaimed. "But you have to get the shoes to go along with it," she said, and after asking Kagome's shoe size, rushed off to go find her the right pair.

"You were saying…?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome after the woman had left.

"I love the dress, but I don't think I can afford this, I…"

The clerk returned with the heels and handed them to Kagome for her to try on. "Well, do you like them?" she asked.

"Yes, but… how much?" Kagome asked, hoping she might be able to buy the outfit. She may not be able to buy anything else for a while, but at least she could have something nice.

"The dress and the shoes together are $300," she said cheerfully.

"Oh… I don't know, I…" Kagome started.

"We'll take it," Sesshomaru interrupted. Both women looked at Sesshomaru. "I'll also take those black dress shoes over there," Sesshomaru said, then told the woman his size.

After buying the items, Sesshomaru stepped into one of the dressing rooms to change into the outfit he had previously bought, including the shoes. When he exited the dressing room, the clerk looked at Kagome and Sesshomaru and smiled. "The two of you make such a lovely couple," she said.

"What? Uh… we're not a couple," Kagome said, a bit flustered.

"You're not? Well, I apologize. It just seemed that way. Have a nice evening," she said, bowing slightly. But as Sesshomaru and Kagome reached the doorway, the woman called her back in. "Wait! I forgot to cut off one of your tags," she said.

Kagome walked back, while Sesshomaru waited for her by the door. As the woman reached around Kagome to cut off the offending tag, she whispered something in her ear. "Don't let a man like him get away," she said.

"It's not like that, see, he's my friend's older brother and I…" Kagome started to explain.

"I got the tag. Run along now, and good luck with whatever you choose," she said, smiling.

"But…"

"Kagome. Are you coming?" Sesshomaru said, after noticing that they were done with the tag.

"What? Oh! Yeah, I'm coming," Kagome answered, and hurried after him, glancing behind her at the woman who seemed to be smiling to herself. She felt the need to turn around and tell the woman that they weren't a couple. She needed to convince her that she had no feelings for Sesshomaru, and vice versa. She just… had to…

"So then what do you want to do?" Sesshomaru asked, breaking Kagome's train of thought.

"Uh… I don't know… I thought you were choosing," Kagome said uncertainly.

"Due to circumstances beyond my control…" Sesshomaru began, but then stopped in mid-sentence. "Did you have anything in mind when you agreed to go out with me?"

"Not really."

"You've been on a date before, haven't you? Where do you usually go?" Sesshomaru asked. Despite his cool exterior, Sesshomaru was slowly growing more and more uneasy.

Kagome stopped walking and stood in deep thought for a moment. "Well, Koga and I used to…" then she froze. "I mean…" she said, looking at Sesshomaru, expecting him to be angry with her for bringing up another male in his presence.

But he brushed it off. "I guess it doesn't matter, really… Let's just see what they have around here," he said coolly, and started to walk again. "Come," he said, gesturing for Kagome to follow him.

They ended up at a small café-like restaurant and decided to eat there. Overall, it was quite uncomfortable for Kagome, as it was very difficult to start a casual conversation with Sesshomaru.

As evening began to settle in, a small jazz band was setting up across the street from the café. Kagome and Sesshomaru soon exited the café and joined the group of observers as the band began playing their set.

After standing still through the first few songs, Kagome looked around and noticed with a sigh that most of the people surrounding them were couples, dancing along to the music.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice the look of longing on Kagome's face as she looked at the couples surrounding them. "I suppose that you want to dance, then?" he said, speaking into Kagome's ear so she could hear him above the music.

She looked startled, and actually jumped a little bit, as if she'd forgotten that Sesshomaru was there with her. She turned at looked at him, obviously still a little bit shaken. "Well, uh, that is… you don't have to, if you don't want to…"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Well, alright then."

"That is to say, uh…" she started, but a saxophone solo was drowning her out.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru said, leaning over so his ear was closer to Kagome's mouth.

"Well, uh… I guess it's getting late. My mom will be worried if I don't come home soon," Kagome said, without even thinking.

"Right. I understand," Sesshomaru responded. "Let's go now."

"I didn't mean…" Kagome started, but her voice was only drowned out in the music once again. She shook her head and followed Sesshomaru to the exit, and they walked to the nearest train station to get to her house.

When they got on the train, Kagome was thankful for the noise once again drowning out the silence that hovered between the two of them. However, when they finally got off the train, there was no avoiding it. Kagome had to say something, or she was going to go insane.

"So um… thanks for tonight. I mean, I know you've got better things to do than take on a charity case like me," Kagome said.

"A charity…?" Sesshomaru started, but Kagome interrupted.

"I really appreciate the dress, and I promise I'll find a way to pay you back," Kagome said, "since I'm sure that I can't return it.

"There's no need for that."

"Really, I have to. I can't be accepting gifts like this from you. I mean, I'm not your girlfriend. Even though you told that guy on the train that I was. Thanks for that, too."

"You looked like you were in need of some assistance."

They arrived at Kagome's house surprisingly fast, and for that, Kagome was somewhat thankful, and yet, somehow, she wished the night didn't have to end so soon, but it did. Sesshomaru walked her to her doorstep, and they stood there for a moment in awkward silence, yet again.

"Well, um… thanks again for tonight. I had a good time," Kagome said. "It was a fun um…" Kagome trailed off.

"Pretend date?" he offered.

"Yeah. Pretend."

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**Author's Note:** Before you start pummeling me with angry questions, demanding to know why I took so long to update, I apologize. A lot of things were going on when I first started this chapter, and it was really difficult for me to get around to writing this. And when I had the time, I just wasn't in the mood. Things have been somewhat difficult lately, and while I'm trying not to let this affect my writing, I know that it is.

On a lighter note, I hope you all don't mind long stories. Because while I was writing this chapter, I started to realize how many details I've left out, and how much more development all of the characters need before I can properly end this. I mean, I already know how this is going to end, but there's still a lot of things that have to happen between then and now. I'm guessing 25- 30 chapters (at most, hopefully)?

**Reviewers:** Thank you all for being so patient. I'm happy to say that I didn't get any angry reviewers screaming at me to update. I love reading all of your reviews, and I look forward to hearing from you all again soon. (Hint, hint)


	15. My Secret Admirer

**A/N: ** Here it is! The long-awaited Chapter 15! Okay, maybe not… but still. I hope you enjoy this, even though I took like… six months to post it. I'll try and do better!

**_My Secret Admirer_**

A few months passed by since the so-called "date", and the new school year had already started, and it was currently the middle of winter. The classes had been scrambled, as they were every year, and Kagome felt somewhat at a loss without her semi-new-found friends constantly by her side as they were before. As she walked down the hallway toward her locker after an entertaining lunch break with her friends, she sighed dejectedly.

Not being around her friends meant she was alone. When she was alone, that meant she had time to think. When she had time to think, well, she… thought. And she didn't like it one bit. She continuously thought of the last time she'd seen Sesshomaru. Their… _date_, if you could really call it that. She remembered the way he'd towered over her at her doorstep, even though she was wearing the high-heels he'd bought her, as he affirmed that their date was 'only for pretend'.

Then she'd think of Kikyo, and how she'd stolen Inuyasha away. She stopped in her tracks. _Stolen? Not even close. As if I ever even owned him in the first place._ She shook her head and kept walking. _Maybe I should go after Sesshomaru… I'm sure he's available…?_ The mere thought of dating Sesshomaru almost made Kagome laugh out loud. _Mr. Stone wall himself… oh yeah… that'd go over well. I might as well date my shoe._

And this was why Kagome hated to be by herself sometimes. She just couldn't chase the thought out of her mind that she'd be alone for the rest of her life, or at least her high school life.

But just like that, the thought suddenly disappeared as she reached her locker. For there, attached to the front by a long strip of masking tape, was half a dozen red roses. She froze for a moment, unsure if it really was her locker. It was, so she carefully removed the tape and opened her locker to put the roses inside. As she did so, a note in a small white envelope fluttered to the ground.

Kagome looked around slowly to see if anyone was watching, but all seemed perfectly normal, so she opened it cautiously and read it to herself. "_Dear Kagome_," it said in small, neatly written block letters. "_I hope you like the roses. Will you meet me after school under the cherry tree by the entrance? I want to talk to you_."

There was nothing else written in the letter. Not even a signature to tell her who had written it. Kagome glanced around again and shrugged. No big deal. She'd go meet the person, thank them for the roses, and then be on her way. She grabbed the necessary book from her locker and headed to her next class, flattered that someone actually thought enough of her to get her roses. She entertained the idea that it might be Inuyasha, then shook her head to herself. There was no way he'd ever to that, for a lot of different reasons, too.

By the time her class was nearly over, Kagome was nearly shaking with excitement, or nervousness. She really couldn't tell which. She went back to her locker to retrieve all of the supplies she would need for homework that night, including the roses from her "secret admirer" as she had come to call him in her mind for the last two hours.

Kagome closed her locker and turned around to lean her back up against the side, smelled the roses again and sighed as she watched people hustle past her. Everyone wanted to be the first one out of the front gates on a Friday, after all. Kagome stood calmly and watched everyone go past her before she realized what she was doing. She was stalling. She wanted so badly for it to be one person in particular sending her these roses, but she knew that she was hoping for too much.

She sighed and figured that it would be better if she just got it over with, and then made her way to the front entrance, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun as she finally exited the building. She walked over toward the large cherry tree mentioned in the mystery note, looking around for anyone who might be the mystery guy, when she noticed a boy with long dark hair, checking his watch and pacing a bit suspiciously.

She sighed and forced a small smile onto her face before she approached him. "Um, excuse me," she began, but she stopped speaking as she hadn't really thought of what to say after that. "I, uh…"

"Yes?" he asked, looking slightly confused. "Can I help you?"

This obviously wasn't the guy she was looking for. He didn't even know her. "Yes, uh… do you know what time it is?" she asked lamely.

He looked at her wrist. "But… you have a watch," he said.

Kagome looked at her wrist, embarrassed, and covered it with her other hand. "I know, but it stopped working a while back. I just kind of wear it for looks now," she lied.

The boy shrugged, told her the time, and then jogged over to a car on the curb which had been honking its horn.

Kagome sighed and looked around before sitting down, leaning against the trunk of the big cherry tree. Maybe this whole thing was a prank. She wouldn't put it past some of the guys at school. They were probably hiding somewhere giggling like school girls now. She sighed again before standing up, purposely leaving the small bouquet of roses on the ground beside where she was previously sitting.

She was almost to the curb, getting ready to cross the street on her way home when she heard a boy yelling. She was fairly sure they weren't calling for her, so she kept walking, until she felt a firm and familiar hand grasp her wrist from behind.

"Kagome," the boy breathed. "You left these behind, and I… I'm sorry I'm late."

But Kagome hadn't heard a word the boy had said. She was too busy staring at his face, trying to decide if she really knew him or not.

He was still rambling on when he realized that Kagome wasn't even speaking. "Uh… Kagome…? What's wrong… do I have something on my face?" he asked, and then attempted to wipe part of his face on the sleeve of the hand which still held Kagome's roses. His other hand still possessively held onto her wrist.

"You…" Kagome began. "What the hell do you want with me, Koga?" she cried suddenly, jerking her wrist away from him.

"Kagome, I only want to talk. Please, just listen to me," Koga pleaded. "All this time, I've been wrong. I want you to give me another chance."

"Is this your idea of some kind of sick joke?" Kagome hissed, backing away from him toward the street as he stepped closer.

"Far from it, Kagome. I want you back, and I know you do, too."

"You what?"

"Kagome, why do you think I've stayed single for so long after we broke up? There were other girls who wanted me, but I just couldn't forget about you."

"You're lying," Kagome said, her voice trembling.

"No, I promise you that I'm not. I really want things to work out between us this time," Koga pleaded.

"No, you don't! Don't say things like that when we both know you don't mean them!" Kagome said, tears starting to spill down her face.

"Kagome, please don't cry," he said before he reached toward Kagome to wipe away her tears, but she pulled away from him.

"Don't," she said, still crying as she tried to put more distance between the two of them.

"Kagome, please… I lo…"

"Shut up!" Kagome cried, but it came out as more of a whimper when Koga suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. She struggled violently against his grip. "Let… go…" she said as she started to give in and lean against him. Something about him was just so warm and familiar, she thought maybe she could just give it another try.

Really, what could it possibly hurt?

Everything.

Part of her screamed no, that her heart couldn't afford to be broken by him again, and yet, the other part of her said yes, that she wanted, needed to give him another chance. After all, what could she possibly be waiting for? Inuyasha? That wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Sesshomaru? Not a chance.

"Well…" Koga prodded her.

Kagome spoke hesitantly. "I…I… I think I, I mean, I think _we_…"

"…should never speak again," came a masculine voice from behind Kagome. Koga stared at the male behind Kagome, and Kagome just froze in place before she turned around to stare dumbly at him as well.

"What're you…" Kagome started, before Koga cut her off.

"And just who the hell are you? What do you want?" he spat.

"Not that it's your business, but I'm here to pick up my girlfriend from school."

"Then why don't you do that, and leave us the hell alone?" Koga demanded.

"I think I will," he said, and grabbed Kagome's arm. "Come on, Kagome. Let's get out of here.

"Sesshomaru! What are you…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Koga yelled, grabbing Kagome violently and pulling her into him, wrapping one arm around her. "Don't fucking touch her, you asshole."

"_Don't_ talk to me like that" Sesshomaru warned him.

"Why not? What are you gonna do about it?" Koga laughed.

"Why don't you go ahead and find out?"

Koga was the first one to take a swing, and the first thing Kagome happened to notice was how gracefully Sesshomaru managed to dodge Koga's fist.

Kagome could only stare in shock as she watched the two males get into it. Even though Sesshomaru obviously had the upper hand, Kagome was surprised to see that Koga noticeably more skilled than the last time she saw him fight. Of course, he wasn't drunk at the moment, either. That always helped.

She stood there for a moment longer before she realized they were standing in front of the school where all kinds of people could see them. The majority of the students had already left, but there were still people walking down the street staring at them.

Kagome finally started thinking straight. "You guys... cut it out!" she said urgently, but when they didn't listen, she started to raise her voice. "Stop fighting! What are you doing?" she started to shout. When neither one of them paid her any attention, she sprung into action, throwing herself between Sesshomaru and Koga in an attempt to stop the fighting.

_Bad idea_. Kagome realized when the left side of her face exploded in pain as she felt herself falling backwards, but she never hit the ground.

"Oh shit… Kagome… oh shit… I didn't mean…" she heard Koga's voice starting to fade away, and she was vaguely aware of being set down lightly on the ground for a short moment before hearing police sirens. She wasn't completely conscious, but she remembered being shoved into the passenger seat of a warm car before everything went completely black.

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When Kagome opened her eyes, one of the first things she noticed was the fact that she was in a room that wasn't her own. Not only that, but according to the dark windows outside, it was probably pretty late.

She started to panic, checking the state of her clothes before she realized exactly where she was. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "What am I doing here?" she asked herself aloud.

"You're in my room… you don't remember what happened?" came a male voice. Kagome was slightly startled, as she thought she was alone.

"I know where I am, but why?" Kagome said, and turned to face Sesshomaru, trying not to grimace from the sudden pounding headache she seemed to be suffering.

"You really don't remember?" Sesshomaru asked.

"No, I don't."

"You were… struck in the face and you lost consciousness, so I brought you here," he said, making his way to the bathroom door.

"You hit me? Why?" Kagome looked at him angrily, then touched the left side of her face, which just happened to be covered in dried blood.

"I did no such thing," he called from the bathroom.

"And why should I believe that?"

"Do I have a reason to hit you?" Sesshomaru asked, sounding impatient as he returned to the room with a wet washcloth.

Kagome was silent for a moment. "I tried to clean you up earlier, but I got this," he gestured to a dusty footprint on the front of his shirt, "as a consequence, so I decided it would be better to wait until you woke up. You're really quite violent in your sleep," Sesshomaru explained as he knelt in front of Kagome and applied the washcloth to her face.

"Ow… it burns!" Kagome complained, and pulled away from Sesshomaru's hand.

"Stay still or it will get infected," he warned, taking hold of her chin with one hand, wiping under and around her eye with the other, causing Kagome to blush just a little.

"Sorry," Kagome said.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm always causing you some kind of trouble."

Sesshomaru didn't answer, so Kagome didn't speak for a few minutes, and sat patiently while Sesshomaru tended to her wound, and just as he was putting the bandage below her left eye… "Wait a minute! You told Koga I was your girlfriend! What the hell was that about?" Kagome shouted.

"So?"

"So I'm not your girlfriend!"

"Please stop shouting in my room," Sesshomaru said, standing up from his previous kneeling position and turning his back on Kagome, rubbing his ears in discomfort.

"What is your problem?" she demanded, not lowering the volume of her voice at all.

"I assure you that I only had the best intentions…"

"Don't give me any of that! Why would you do something like that? Are you _trying_ to ruin my life?" Kagome shouted, raising her voice even more.

Sesshomaru spun around in one fluid motion. "Are _you_ trying to ruin your own life?" he shouted angrily.

Even though Kagome was shocked at Sesshomaru losing his cool the way he did, she pressed on. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Koga is a bad person, Kagome. No matter what he says to you now, he'll never change. Don't you think it's strange that he suddenly wants you back? Don't you think he could have stopped himself before he hit you earlier? Don't you think at all?"

"_Shut up_!" Kagome shouted angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about! And I never…uh…" Kagome put a hand to the side of her head. "I… oh…"

Right before Kagome started to fall over, Sesshomaru realized just how pale she'd looked. Sesshomaru quickly closed the distance between the two and caught her in his arms. "Hey… Kagome… are you okay?" he asked, shaking her slightly.

"I just feel… dizzy," Kagome said softly. "Damn… my head hurts…"

Sesshomaru led Kagome over to his bed again, and helped her into a reclining position. "Stay right there. I'll be back, okay?"

"Okay," Kagome agreed, and closed her eyes while she massaged her temples.

Sesshomaru returned shortly with a glass of water and some pain relievers. He helped her sit up and instructed her to take the medicine. Kagome did what he said without argument, then she laid back down in Sesshomaru's bed. "You should stay here tonight, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, straining to keep her eyes open.

"Yes. You're in no shape to walk home, and the trains have stopped running. It's past ten o'clock," Sesshomaru said, running his fingers through her hair.

"But I don't want to be a… a… burden," Kagome whispered, barely audible before her eyes fluttered shut.

"Don't worry about it. Just get some rest, and I'll go get you something to eat."

"Thank you."

Sesshomaru returned a few minutes later with a sandwich and another glass of water. "Kagome? Are you asleep?"

No response.

Sesshomaru knelt beside his bed, and he couldn't stop himself from stroking her hair again. "You know," he whispered. "I _do_ know what I'm talking about. You should listen sometimes."

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**A/N: **Yes… I did take my damn time putting this chapter out. Actually, I took so long between writing times that I actually forgot what this chapter was about, and then I had to go back and skim through the chapters to make sure I wasn't writing the wrong information…ANYWAY, I'd like to promise that Chapter 16 will come out very soon, but… well… I'm pretty sure we all can see how long _this_ chapter took to come out.

Who knew that graduating from high school could take up so much of your time? That and I had food poisoning. I seriously thought I was gonna die!

Oh yeah… sorry this chapter was so lame. Next chapter is when things start to pick up again. What ever happened to Kagome's dad? _Dun dun dun…_

Oh yes... and reviews always encourage me to update faster! D **_hinthint…_**


	16. Let Them Talk

**A/N:** So here I am today (I posted Chapter 15 yesterday… June uh… 24th …or something), already working on Chapter 16. Let's see how long this one takes me to crank out. This chapter shouldn't be _too_ difficult. I left Chapter 15 with a ridiculous ending, simply because I was tired of writing and I didn't want last chapter to be too long.

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Kagome awoke early the next morning to the sound of an unfamiliar alarm clock. She instinctively reached over and hit the snooze button before rubbing her eyes and looking around the room. _Right…I'm still in Sesshomaru's room._

She got out of bed as quietly as she could when she noticed Sesshomaru was still asleep at his desk. Kagome took a long look at him, trying to figure out what was wrong with the picture. _It's not like it's weird to see that he sleeps, I mean… everyone has to sleep, right? It's just that it's… well… weird._ Kagome shook her head to try and wake herself up completely when she realized how much her head was still bothering her. She looked around and saw a bottle of Advil sitting on the bedside table, grabbed a few, then silently let herself out of Sesshomaru's room, and walked down the hall, only to see Inuyasha reading the morning paper over a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, Inuyasha."

He looked up at her when he heard her walking across the kitchen tile on her way to the cupboard. She pulled out a glass and filled it with water. "Oh… hey Kagome," he said, then looked back at the paper.

Kagome swallowed the pills and made her way toward the front door. "See you at school, Inuyasha," she called over her shoulder.

"Okay see ya," he responded. It took him a minute to realize what had just happened. "Wait a minute…" he muttered to himself. "What the hell was she doing here? And why is she still in her uniform?" Inuyasha shook his head and went back to eating, making a mental note to ask Kagome about it later, when Sesshomaru made his way down the same hall Kagome did, looking uncharacteristically groggy. "Hey," he muttered.

Sesshomaru ran his fingers through his hair as he waited for the coffee machine to work. "Did Kagome leave already?"

Inuyasha nodded distractedly, then dropped his spoon and the paper. Something just clicked in his head. "What… the… fuck."

Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha through the corner of his eye. "What?"

"How did you know Kagome was here? Did she spend the night in your room? What the fuck?"

"Yes. She did, as if that's any of your business," Sesshomaru said, making his way back toward his room with a now steaming mug of coffee.

Inuyasha sat there for a moment, absolutely fuming mad. "You're a real bastard, you know that?"

Sesshomaru turned around and rolled his eyes. "I suppose that's better than being a fake one."

"You have no right…"

"Might I remind you, little brother, that you have no claim over her. I do what I please. And I please to do her," Sesshomaru said with a smirk on his face. _Wait… that didn't come out right._ _No matter._ Sesshomaru turned and walked to his room again, this time without interruption. But just as he was about to close his door behind him-

"It's illegal, ya know! She's underage!"

Just then, Miroku walked into the kitchen. "Sesshomaru's a pedophile?" he asked, confused.

Sesshomaru choked on his coffee. _What the hell?_

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"Mom! I'm home!" Kagome called as she walked through the front door. Kagome heard hurried footsteps until her mother emerged from around the corner, appearing to be very concerned.

"Kagome! I was so worried. Where were you all night?"

"I stayed the night at Sango's. Sorry, we were studying, and I guess we both fell asleep before I got the chance to call," Kagome lied.

Her mother nodded understandingly. "Well, you'd better get ready for school or you're going to be late… oh my goodness! What happened to your eye?" she exclaimed, barely noticing the bandage and swelling underneath Kagome's left eye.

"I uh… got hit by a baseball in PE. I just kind of spaced out, and then _whack_! You know how it is." No _way_ she was going to tell her about Koga.

"Are you sure you're alright?" her mother asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Of course I am. It was only a baseball. No big deal, really. Anyway, I'd better start getting ready," Kagome said as she slid past her mother on the way to her bedroom.

"Okay, well breakfast is ready when you are."

"Okay thanks!"

Kagome emerged from her room, fully dressed, a few minutes later, and sat down at the table to eat, with only a few minutes to spare before she had to rush out of the door. She had enough time to chat a little with Souta, and see how school was going before she looked at the clock and realized that she would be late if she didn't leave soon.

"Thanks for the food mom! I gotta go!" Kagome called, and made her way to the front door, but her mother intercepted her before she could leave the kitchen.

"Here Kagome. I almost forgot. You got a letter in the mail yesterday," her mother said, then handed her said letter.

Kagome took a glance at the return address and sighed. "Thanks, mom. I'll see you later," she said, waving the envelope as she walked out. However, she didn't make it very far with the envelope. She glanced at one of the trashcans on the way to the descending shrine steps, then dropped the letter inside without a second thought.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she came across an unexpected surprise.

"Sesshomaru… what are you doing here?"

"Did you sleep well last night?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome blushed a bit. "Oh, um… yeah. Thanks again for yesterday," she said shyly, then glanced at her watch. "Oh! I'm gonna be late if I don't start moving." To Kagome's surprise, Sesshomaru walked with her. "Oh, uh… you never answered my question…"

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome. "Your eye is looking much better than it did yesterday."

Kagome self-consciously touched the side of her face. "Oh yeah… Makeup does wonders, ya know," she said, then laughed nervously. "But really, though… what were you doing by my house? Did you have some sort of business in my neighborhood?"

"You don't need it, you know."

"Uh… what?"

"Makeup. You look fine without it."

Kagome touched her face again. "Oh… uh… thanks." They walked in an awkward silence for another minute. "Are you avoiding my question?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just wanted to know why you were at my house this morning. It's not like I'm asking for your deep dark secrets."

"Do you like asking questions?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at her sideways.

"Not as much as I like having them answered." Kagome shot back. When Sesshomaru didn't answer, she spoke again. "Were you waiting for me?"

"I might have been. See you later," he said, then started to walk away.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"Shouldn't you be getting to class?"

Kagome looked behind her as the bell rang. She couldn't believe she hadn't even noticed that they'd already arrived at school. "Okay bye!" she waved and started jogging to the front entrance. Sesshomaru just shook his head and walked away.

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Back at the shrine, Kagome's mother was tidying up the grounds before any guests showed up. She walked past one of the trashcans and noticed the letter that she'd given Kagome less than an hour earlier was sitting there, unopened. "Oh, Kagome…" she said to herself. Not that she was surprised at her daughter's reaction, but it wasn't like she could ignore this thing forever. Not when her parents had already decided her future for her. Kagome's mother and father had decided long ago that she'd ultimately be better off. And now that she was graduating…

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After school, Kagome met up with Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku in the front, and the four of them decided to go out to eat so they could have time to catch up.

After they were seated and had ordered their drinks, they started to chat about plans for their upcoming spring break.

"So I thought maybe the four of us could make a trip to the beach or something," Sango was suggesting.

Miroku beamed. "An excellent idea, my dear Sango. I can just see it now…"

Sango smacked Miroku on the back of the head, ending his monologue. "On second thought, erase that image from your mind. We're going somewhere else."

"But Sango…" Miroku began.

"Forget it. I don't like the beach anyway," Sango said stubbornly.

"Me neither," Kagome said, twirling a lock of hair in front of her eyes boredly. "There's heroin needles in the sand."

The whole table got quiet.

"Oookayyy…" Sango said, glancing at Kagome out of the corner of her eye. "Why don't we go to Disneyland or something? I guess we could just hang out, or have a picnic or something, but that's kinda lame…"

"Anything's fine," Kagome yawned tiredly, "with me."

Inuyasha glared at her. "Kagome, you look tired."

"What? Oh, no… I'm fine."

"You should get some rest," he suggested.

"No, I'm fine. Really. Thanks for your concern, though," Kagome said, and smiled a bit in appreciation.

"What did you do last night? You couldn't possibly have slept if you're that tired," Inuyasha asked innocently.

"I slept. What else would I do?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha, becoming a bit confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just telling you that you should get more sleep, that's all," Inuyasha said, shrugging a bit.

"Um… okay, Inuyasha. Your concern is endearing and all, but I'm sure that Kagome's fine," Sango interrupted.

"Yeah, I'm fine… really," Kagome assured him. _Can't I even yawn without setting off alarms?_

Just then, the waitress arrived with the group's drinks. "Who ordered the coke?" she asked, and when Miroku raised his hand a bit and gave her an appreciative look, she smiled back flirtatiously. "Here ya go," she said, and when Miroku brushed against her hand for a bit longer than necessary, Sango kicked Miroku's shin under the table.

"Ah!" he yelled, reaching down to clutch his shin, almost causing the waitress to drop the three other drinks.

"Are you okay?" the waitress asked.

"Oh yeah… I'm fine… just got a sudden cramp in my leg. That's all," he said when Sango looked away, looking irritated.

The waitress dropped off all of the other drinks, and made her way back to the kitchen to continue working. An awkward silence fell over the table until Inuyasha took it upon himself to break the silence. It probably would have been better if he hadn't.

"I forgot to tell you something, Kagome," Inuyasha began. Kagome looked at him questioningly. "I like your makeup."

Kagome smiled a bit at the seemingly innocent compliment. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she said, and blushed just a little.

"You have someone to impress?" he asked, sipping his root beer nonchalantly.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a second before answering. "No one that I know of," she said jokingly, hoping to relieve the tense atmosphere that Inuyasha was slowly building.

"Or maybe you're hiding something?"

Kagome laughed nervously. "Like what? My eyelids? Damn, I was hoping you guys didn't notice. But I've recently gained weight, and it's all gone straight to my eyelids. I swear they're five pounds heavier each!" she joked.

They all laughed, except for Inuyasha.

"That would explain why you're so tired today, Kagome," Inuyasha mentioned again. The three of them laughed, and yet again, Inuyasha did not. Kagome was the only one who really seemed to notice.

"I told you before that I'm fine, Inuyasha. You don't have to worry about me."

"Yeah, Inuyasha. Lay off it," Miroku jumped in.

"I'm not worried. But I still think you're hiding something under all that makeup," Inuyasha said again.

If this was a joke, Kagome wasn't quite sure that she was getting it. "Like what, Inuyasha? What could I possibly have to hide?"

"I dunno… _hickeys_… _love bites_…" Inuyasha trailed off.

"What exactly are you getting at, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno… I just doubt, somehow that Kagome's _fat eyelids_ are the source of her fatigue."

Kagome was starting to turn red.

"I'm not sure I understand," Miroku offered.

"Just saying. Maybe Kagome should refrain from certain _nightly activities_ on school nights," Inuyasha said, not once removing his eyes from Kagome during the whole conversation.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome hissed.

"I'm sure you know. Or were there too many times to remember?"

"What the fuck?"

"I suppose you'd know all about that," Inuyasha said calmly.

Kagome slammed her hands on the table, causing the spoons and forks to clang against themselves. Once Kagome was on her feet, she grabbed her fruit punch and threw its contents in Inuyasha's face and hair in one fluid motion, then spun on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant.

The three of them sat there in shock, staring at the door that Kagome had just burst through. "What the hell was that about?" Sango asked angrily.

Before Inuyasha was able to respond, the waitress returned and handed Inuyasha some napkins to clean himself up with. Inuyasha muttered his thanks, and the waitress just nodded her head. "But you know, someone's gonna have to pay for that drink."

"Shit."

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When Kagome stormed out of the restaurant, she was _radiating_ anger. But as she got closer to the park by the school, she realized that it wasn't the only thing she was feeling. She felt betrayed, embarrassed, and sad, too. She couldn't believe that was how Inuyasha really felt about her. After all this time, and he really thought she was that kind of girl. She couldn't believe it.

As her vision started to blur with tears, she stopped by the pond in the middle of the park and started throwing small stones into the middle.

**_…Splash…_**

_**…**I can't believe he thinks I'm like that…_

_**…Splash…**_

_…I can't believe he'd go off on me like that…_

_**…Splash…**_

_…And in public, too…_

_**…Splash…**_

_…I can't believe I thought he was different…_

_**…Splash…**_

_…I can't believe I even bothered to trust him…_

_**…Splash…**_

_…I'm such an idiot…_

With each splash of each separate stone, Kagome thought of more ways to make herself feel like an idiot. After a while of just sitting there, staring off into the distance, Kagome realized that it was starting to get dark and decided to head home.

Kagome was alone with her thoughts when-

**_Tap…tap…tap…tap…_**

Footsteps. Following behind her. Not too close, but not too far away either. She wanted to look back, see who it was, but she feared looking like some paranoid lunatic. So she sped up a bit, hoping that she could get out of range of the tapping so it wouldn't make her so nervous anymore.

**_Tap…tap…tap…_**

Their speed was matching her own… maybe they were even catching up. But Kagome had managed to convince herself that it was only somebody in a hurry to get someplace… it had nothing to do with her. So she slowed down, hoping that the mystery walker would just keep on walking right past her.

She breathed a short sigh of relief when the shoes didn't slow down, but kept walking at their same pace. At least that meant she wasn't being followed.

Wrong.

Her relief was extremely short lived when she felt a strong hand clamp down on her shoulder. On contact, she let out a breath she wasn't even aware of holding. A breath which came out in the form of an ear-shattering scream. However, the figure (presumably male) hastily put his other hand over her mouth in an attempt to smother her screams.

By this point, Kagome was in a panic. She knew that she should do something. Anything. But she couldn't move. She was frozen in place momentarily, but then she started flailing about like a madwoman, trying to escape from her attacker until he turned her around to face him. She looked in his eyes for one terrified moment, then threw her arms around his neck and almost began to cry.

"My god, Sesshomaru… I was so scared. Why would you sneak up on me like that? What are you doing here?" she asked as soon as she pulled away.

"I saw you walking down the street and I thought that I should speak to you, but I didn't want to startle you by calling out your name," he explained.

"Well you should have! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Sesshomaru took Kagome's hand in his own, and they started to walk together in the direction of Kagome's house. "Uh… what are you doing?" Kagome asked nervously.

"You look a bit shaken up, so I thought I'd walk you home."

"Uh… thanks…" she said with a slight blush, then removed her hand from his a minute later with the pretense of checking her watch. After she returned her hand to her side, however, he took her hand in his again. By then, they were almost to Kagome's house, and she took her hand away again as they reached the steps.

Sesshomaru didn't react to this, but just continued walking next to her as if nothing was happening. When they reached her doorstep, Kagome stood there awkwardly, looking as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure how to say it. He raised an eyebrow at her, inviting her to speak her mind.

"Uh… I don't think we should be around each other so much anymore," Kagome said quickly. "But thanks for walking me home…"

"And why is that?" Sesshomaru asked. "You don't like me?"

"No, it's not that… it's just that… when we're… I mean… if you're around me all the time, people might get the wrong idea, you know what I mean?"

"No, I don't."

"I mean that sometimes, when people see two people together all the time, and one of the people claims to have a relationship with the other, people start believing it…" Kagome rambled.

"And?"

"People talk, Sesshomaru, and…" but Kagome was at a loss for words. Not because she didn't have anything else to say, but because she was physically unable to speak. Why? Because Sesshomaru was kissing her, again.

At first, Kagome was shocked, and tried to pull away, but when she felt his hands go to the back of her neck, she gave in to his gentle caress, moving her lips when appropriate, and… _omigod… that's his tongue…_ Kagome's voice screamed in her head. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and felt him press up against her, pushing her back to the wall behind her as he hovered over her, kissing her and touching her hair and waist. All she could think was that she never wanted this moment to end, but it had to.

Sesshomaru pulled away, still leaning over her and ran his fingers through her long hair. "Let them talk," was all he said before he turned and walked into the night.

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**A/N:** Yay! Chapter 16! That was fast compared to how long I've been taking recently to post chapters. But you know what? I'm kind of sad about last chapter, because I was… well… running short on reviews. Now, normally I'm not really a picky person, but for the last chapter, when I ended up with a few more people putting me on alert, and several more adding my story to favorites, and when I had hundreds of hits on the last chapter, I was reasonably (at least I think it's reasonable) upset about the amount of reviews I received.

So! A new rule is in place for the next chapter!

Until I receive 255 reviews, no Chapter 17 for you! Nyah! So hurry up and review! Because I really want this next chapter to come out! Hit that button! You know you wanna!


	17. Fuck Darth Vader

**A/N: **First of all, I would like to let you all know that I love you all. You have no idea how excited I was to come home from my (kind of) vacation and find that I had so many reviews. I really do appreciate it, so thanks a bunch. It makes me feel better about working so hard on this story if I know that people are actually enjoying it.

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**_Swish…swish…swish…_**

That was the sound Kagome imagined Sesshomaru's hair making as he walked away from her doorstep.

To put it simply, Kagome was… in shock, to say the least. Of course, so was her tiny audience. You know, the one she wasn't aware had followed her every step of the way? Anyway, Kagome stood there on her doorstep well after Sesshomaru had left her, until she finally snapped out of her trance and brought her fingers to her lips.

"Oh… my…god…" was all she could say, at a whisper to herself. When she finally realized that she was starting to get _very_ cold, she turned around and walked into her house, absolutely glowing inside. Kagome was ecstatic, she was excited, she was happier than happy, she was…

"_Kagome!_"

…in trouble.

Damn… what a joy killer her mom could be sometimes.

"Yes, mom? I'm home," Kagome called back. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen," her mother called back. Kagome made her way slowly through the kitchen, running through all of the possibly bad things she'd done lately, trying to figure out what it was that her mother was upset about. _Oh shit… maybe she heard about me throwing punch on Inuyasha, and I'm in trouble with the restaurant, or maybe she saw Sesshomaru and me…ohhh mannnn…_

But her suspicions were confirmed to be incorrect when she came across her mother with a very small stack of papers.

_Ack… my math grade…_

"Mom, I swear I can get my grades up, I…"

"Kagome, _sit down_."

"Right," Kagome said, and grabbed the chair across the table from her mother, sitting down very quickly.

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Kagome's mother finally began to speak.

"Kagome, why are you hiding things from me?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not hiding anything…"

"Yes, you are. This is serious. I can't believe you'd hide something like this from me," she said, gesturing to the papers in front of her.

"Mom, it's not like I can't raise my grade," Kagome said. "It's not that big a deal. I'm not even failing."

Kagome's mother sighed. "Kagome, this has nothing to do with your grades."

"Well, mom, if it's about Sesshomaru, it's because I…"

"Just be quiet and listen to me for a minute."

Kagome nodded.

"Kagome, you need to understand that there are certain parts of your life that you can't just ignore. There are certain parts of your life that are very important to your future, and you can't just brush things off because _you_ don't feel like dealing with it. It's really not okay," her mother explained.

By now, Kagome was starting to catch her drift. This was about the letter.

"But _mom_. What could he possibly have to say to me that I'd actually be interested in?" Kagome argued.

"Why _wouldn't_ you be interested, Kagome? He is your _father_."

"He _abandoned _me, mother. I just woke up one morning and he was gone. No explanation, no goodbye, no _nothing_. I don't care about what he has to say," Kagome ranted.

"Kagome, he did _not_ abandon you. Aren't these letters proof enough?" She gestured to the papers in front of her again.

"Of course he abandoned me! He abandoned both of us! Haven't you realized that there's been an empty place at the table for years? Any asshole could get his secretary to write a damn letter. It doesn't mean anything!" Kagome shouted as she stood up. She was about to start yelling again when her mother stood up, leaned across the table and slapped her.

"Don't talk like that Kagome. You don't know what you're saying," Kagome's mother shouted back, then walked calmly across the kitchen and picked up the cordless phone, handing it to Kagome. "Now," she said quietly, "call your father."

Kagome's mother may have calmed down already, but Kagome wasn't, by any means, calm. She reached for the phone and slapped it out of her mother's hands, sending it crashing down on the floor. She winced at the sound of impact when it landed hard on the kitchen tile, but made no effort to conceal her anger. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't _have_ a father!" Kagome shouted. "I'll be in my room," she hissed as she turned away and stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She instantly deflated.

_What a day. I haven't thrown a tantrum like that since I was five years old._

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Kagome woke up the next morning feeling extremely tired, and she felt the need to apologize to her mother for the previous night, but when she went to the kitchen to do so, her mother was nowhere in sight. Souta, however, was there.

"Souta, where's mom?" she asked.

"I dunno… she said something about having to run errands this morning or something. What were you and mom yelling about yesterday?" Souta asked.

"We were arguing," Kagome sighed.

"About what? Dad?" Souta asked.

"Yeah… about Dad," she admitted, even though she really didn't want to talk about it, so she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

And then came the ever-dreaded question.

"Why?"

"Because, Souta. We just were."

And again.

"Why?"

"Because we don't agree on certain things."

"About Dad?"

"Yes, Souta."

Again.

"Why?"

"You know, you're making it very difficult for me to enjoy my breakfast," Kagome snapped. Souta was quiet for a moment.

_Again._

"But why?"

"Because I can't answer questions while I'm trying to eat. So shut up," Kagome said.

**_Again_.**

"No, I meant why do you and Mom fight about Dad?"

Kagome slammed her hands on the table as she stood, startling Souta, then noisily put her bowl in the sink, and started to leave the kitchen.

"Kagome…" Souta called.

"_Because I hate him! Shit!_" Kagome yelled, then grabbed her bag on her way out, slamming the front door behind her. And right on queue, her mother was standing on the doorstep, more papers in her hands. But Kagome didn't care what they were, and she obviously wasn't in the mood to apologize anymore, so she walked right past her.

"Kagome, what's all the yelling about?" her mother asked.

"_Don't frickin worry about it_," Kagome hissed, and stomped off of the shrine grounds, only to find Sesshomaru waiting there for her. Again.

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

Sesshomaru merely raised an eyebrow at her, then walked alongside her quietly the whole way to school. As they got further away from the shrine, Kagome had visibly relaxed. Her shoulders weren't as tense as they were before, and her breathing had slowed down to a regular pace.

"Thanks, Sesshomaru," she said as they reached the front gates of her school. This continued this every day for the next two weeks. Sometimes they would talk a bit, but most of the time, they just walked silently together. However, as much as Kagome enjoyed Sesshomaru's company, she was starting to miss hanging out with her friends after school. She even missed Inuyasha, even though she was still pretty pissed off at him for the things he'd said to her that day in the restaurant.

Kagome sighed as she dropped her bag onto her bed and looked around her room for something to do. She noticed her computer just sitting there, looking awfully lonely (okay, maybe not), so she turned it on and got online, in hopes that there would actually be something worth doing.

_May as well sign into messenger…_ Kagome thought to herself, and when she signed on and checked, Sango was online, so she decided to say hello.

**BowsandArrows:** Hey Sango

**Hiraikotsu:** Kagome! Where have you been!

**BowsandArrows: **Around… sorry I've been ditching you guys lately.

**Hiraikotsu: **It's cool. I understand if you don't want to be around Inuyasha after what happened.

**BowsandArrows: **Thanks.

**Hiraikotsu: **Yeah… he was way outta line.

**BowsandArrows:** I know.

**Hiraikotsu: **But seriously, though… are you dating someone right now? Is that where you've been?

**BowsandArrows: **No. Not even close. It's nothing like that.

**Hiraikotsu:** You sure?

**BowsandArrows: **Sango, I think I'd know if I was dating someone.

**Hiraikotsu: **Okay, but what was Inuyasha talking about anyway?

**BowsandArrows: **I have no idea.

**Hiraikotsu: **Then why did you get so mad?

**BowsandArrows: **I don't know…I just didn't like what he was suggesting.

**Hiraikotsu: **It's cool if you don't want to talk about it right now.

**BowsandArrows: **No! That's not it.

**Hiraikotsu: **Okay, cool. We're still gonna go somewhere for spring break, right?

**BowsandArrows: **I was hoping we would.

**Hiraikotsu: **Cool. But we better start making plans. It's only one month away!

**BowsandArrows:** I know! I'm excited.

**Hiraikotsu: **Great. But listen, I gotta go, so I'll call you later tonight, okay?

**BowsandArrows: **Okay.

**_Hiraikotsu has signed off_**

Kagome signed off soon after, since there wasn't really anyone else for her to talk to. She sighed again and laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling before deciding to start on her homework. A few minutes later, she decided she was too hungry to work, so she made her way to the kitchen. As she was walking, she heard the phone start ringing, then glanced at her watch. _Wow, that was quick_, Kagome thought as she entered the kitchen. But Souta had already picked up the phone, and was talking excitedly with his back to her.

"Yeah! Soccer's been going great! We just won again yesterday… uh-huh…yeah… oh, I'm doing good in school… yeah, I promise… when are we gonna see you again?" he asked.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. _What is he talking about?_ She poured herself a glass of water, and Souta turned to look at her, just barely noticing her presence. "Oh, hey! Kagome _is_ home," he said, looking at Kagome. "You wanna talk to her? Okay," he said, and handed the phone to Kagome, "it's for you," he said, and ran off.

"Thanks, Souta," she called to his back before putting the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" she said, smiling. She was always happy to talk to Sango.

"Hi, Kagome," came a male voice on the other end. "How have you been?"

Kagome stiffened. Definitely _not_ Sango. This voice was familiar, yet…_not_ at the same time. "Who the hell are you?" she asked roughly.

"Now Kagome," came the voice, sternly. "That's no way to talk to your _father_, is it?"

"Excuse me, who are you again?"

"Your father."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," Kagome responded.

"Your father, Rei Watase; now will you stop being difficult?"

"**_Oh! Mr. Watase!_** Can I help you with something?" Kagome's voice oozed false sweetness.

He sighed. "Kagome, I can understand you're upset about my absence these past few years…"

"Past few years? Try the last 17 years of my life! Even when you and mom _were_ together, you were never home!" Kagome shouted.

"Kagome, you don't seem to understand…"

"Ms. Higurashi," she corrected coolly.

But he didn't change. "_Kagome_. I'm trying to explain to you that…"

"Excuse me, but who are you again?" Kagome interrupted.

"Kagome, I am your father."

"Seriously? And here I thought I never had one. Honestly. You disappear for years after barely being around anyway, and then you decide to randomly call me one day, and pull this _Darth Vader _bullshit?"

"It's not a random phone call, Kagome. I wrote you before, and you never responded."

"_You _wrote me? _Really_? Then what did the letters say?" Kagome asked.

He sighed again. "Didn't you read them?"

"Didn't your secretary write them?" Kagome countered.

"Kagome, I'm trying to be patient with you, but you're making this _very _difficult."

"Who are you again?"

"_Kagome!_" he all but shouted over the phone. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"Why did you disappear?"

"Listen, Kagome. There are several things that I wish to discuss with you, very soon, so I've made plans for you to visit here over your spring break during one of my company's business parties," he explained.

"Who are you again?"

"I've already sent plane tickets for you, Souta, and two extras if you want to bring friends. I've also made reservations at the hotel where the party will be held, so I expect to see you there. Goodbye," he said, ignoring Kagome's question.

Kagome blew up. "What makes you think I want to go to one of your dumb parties?" she yelled, but she already heard the dial tone. Her father had hung up on her. Kagome hit the "End Call" button, and slammed the receiver onto the table in front of her before letting her forehead hit the table with just as much force. "Ouch," she muttered to herself.

Then the phone rang again. _Perfect_. The bastard was probably calling back to hassle her more after hanging up on _her_. She glared at the phone for a second before deciding to answer it. However, instead of starting with the traditional "Hello?", she improvised with a loud, angry, well delivered "_Fuck you!_" before hanging up again.

A few seconds later, the phone rang again. He really didn't know when to give up, did he? "_What!_" Kagome shouted into the phone, only to realize that she had the wrong caller.

"Uh… Kagome?" came a feminine voice.

"Omigod, Sango… I'm _so_ sorry. Did you just call a few seconds ago, too?"

She hesitated before answering. "…Yes…"

"Oh man… I thought you were someone else."

"Yeah… is everything okay?" Sango asked cautiously.

"I'm alright. I've just been really stressed lately, and then I got this phone call… anyway, that's not really important. I've got good news…"

"Yeah? What is it?" Sango said, somewhat surprised at the sudden change of subject.

"How would you feel about spending our spring break in a five-star hotel on the beach, in Osaka?" Kagome asked, trying to sound excited.

"Omigod, Kagome! That sounds great! But it seems like a lot of trouble…"

"Don't worry about it. I've already got the plane tickets, and the reservations and everything. It's all free."

"I'm in!"

Kagome smiled. She'd fill her in on the details later.

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**A/N:** Once again, thank you all so much for the fast review response last chapter. I would have posted this chapter earlier, but I went to San Diego for four days, so I had no access to a computer during that time.

Anyhow, as long as we can make this into a pattern, I will do my best to update this story at _least_ once a week, hopefully _twice_. I'd really like to finish this story by the beginning of August, but I don't know if that's going to happen because I don't really want to rush to the ending.

So! What will make me update _faster_, you ask?

More reviews, just as quickly as last time!

So! This chapter's target number of reviews is: 275!

Thanks! See you all soon!


	18. What the hell?

**A/N:** And here it is! Chapter 18! Wow… I didn't think I'd get here so soon. But here it is, so… yeah. I'm sure you didn't click that button just so you could my author's notes, so here comes the next chapter!

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A month later, Kagome was packing her bags for the dreaded trip to Osaka. Sango, on the other hand, was thrilled. She also had no idea _why_ they were really going. Sango thought this was going to be a random, fun-filled vacation, when in reality, this was _not_ going to be a simple vacation for Kagome. This was going to _suck_.

Kagome sighed for what must have been the thirtieth time in the last ten minutes. A month had passed already. A _month!_ And she still hadn't bothered to tell Sango what was _really_ going on with this so-called vacation. This wasn't even going to be a vacation. This was going to be _torture_.

_A business party_?

_With my father_?

_Seriously_?

_Why am I even **going**? It's not like I wanted to. More like my mother is **forcing** me to. But at least Sango agreed to come with me, even though she still doesn't know the details… I wonder if setting her up to deal with the awkwardness of my relationship with my father makes me a bad friend… oh well. At least it spares me the trouble of hanging out with my twelve year old brother and his friend. At least my father had the decency to send us both extra tickets so we wouldn't be so bored and alone._

Kagome sighed again.

Her father…

Seriously, what did he want after all this time? He said he had something "important" to discuss with her- maybe he planned on apologizing for never being there…_yeah…right_. He could have had his secretary write her a damn letter if he wanted to apologize so badly.

Another sigh.

It really seemed like her father brought out the worst in her. As soon as that second letter had arrived, she was taking out all of her anger and frustration on everyone (not that some of them didn't deserve it… coughcoughInuyashacough…), and she had felt pretty bad about it. Not that she hadn't apologized about (most) things already, but still, she felt pretty terrible.

Kagome shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the main source of her anger… her father.

It wasn't so much that he left. Kagome understood the concepts that some marriages _just didn't work out_, and most of the time, these relationships ended in a divorce. She forgave her father for moving out. She really did. It was just the fact that he was almost never around even before he left. And then, just when she needed him most, he went and disappeared on her for three whole years. No explanation, no phone calls, no letters, no apologies, nothing. And then, all of a sudden, it's "Hi, Kagome! I know you probably want nothing to do with me, but I want you in my life! Come see me again!"

He must have thought that even after the incident a few years back, her good nature would have taken over her heart again. And it truly had, until recently.

Kagome's thoughts were promptly interrupted when Sango called, asking her to come over to her house for a while. Kagome agreed, and a short while later, she arrived at Sango's place.

As it turned out, the two of them were not going to spend the time alone.

When Kagome rang the doorbell, an overexcited Miroku sporting a reddened cheek flung the door open and grasped Kagome into an enthusiastic, and somewhat painful hug.

"Kagome! It's been forever since we last met!" he shouted.

"Are you drunk? I saw you in class two days ago…" Kagome laughed, pushing away from Miroku's crushing grip.

"But we never hang out after school anymore! How have you been?"

Kagome was about to answer, when Inuyasha appeared around the corner. "Miroku, what the hell are you shouting about?" he asked, before he noticed Kagome standing in front of Miroku, and stood silently, just looking at her, suddenly making the room incredibly tense.

"Kagome's here," Miroku said with a forced grin on his face.

"I noticed," Inuyasha muttered.

"Hi…" Kagome said, trying to be polite, even though she was a bit upset that Inuyasha had never even bothered to apologize after his outburst a while ago. He was pretty much the reason she wasn't around her friends so much anymore. Every time she was around him lately, things were really tense, and quiet. And that made everyone, including Kagome extremely uncomfortable. Since she didn't know what to do about it, she simply avoided him, figuring that it was the best solution. Unfortunately, Sango didn't seem to see it that way if she was going to force them together like this.

The silence was finally broken when Sango clapped her hands together. "Okay, guys… now that we're all here, I've ordered some pizza, and I've got soda in the fridge, so why don't we all just relax until it gets here? It's the last time we're going to see each other for two weeks," Sango said, ushering the group into the dining area where they all sat down in an uncomfortable silence with their drinks.

_Huh… somehow, this reminds me of something that didn't turn out too well_… Kagome was thinking, staring into her drink while Sango and Miroku chatted somewhat uncomfortably, trying to ease the tension between Kagome and Inuyasha.

"So Kagome, Sango tells me that the two of you are planning on going on vacation together?" Miroku questioned.

"Yeah… we're going to be staying in a nice hotel out by the water. It should be a lot of… fun," Kagome answered, forcing herself to smile.

"You bet it will! Room service, swimming pool, shining beach waters, and hot guys running around shirtless! It'll be a blast!" Sango said, laughter in her eyes.

Inuyasha snorted. "Sango, you're starting to sound as perverted as Miroku."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at his remark as Miroku loudly denied Inuyasha's claims, as did Sango at the suggestion that she was anything like their perverted friend. Eventually, the argument died down, and the topic came up of what the boys would be doing during their break.

"We don't really have anything planned…" Miroku was saying, until Inuyasha broke in.

"Yeah we do, we're going on a trip," he interjected.

"What trip? I didn't hear anything about a trip…" Miroku said, looking confused.

"Well we're going on one."

"Since when?"

"He's probably just saying that so Sango and I won't think you two are losers for staying home alone the whole break," Kagome laughed, and so did the rest of them, except for Inuyasha, who glared at her in silence. Kagome cleared her throat uncomfortably. She really didn't like when people were mad at her, so she was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable by the second under Inuyasha's gaze. "So where are you two planning on going?" she asked.

"Three," Inuyasha said.

"Excuse me?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshomaru's coming, too."

"He agreed to go on a trip with the two of you?" Sango interjected. Kagome wasn't the only one becoming uncomfortable with Inuyasha's attitude.

Inuyasha shrugged. And before anyone else had a chance to speak, the doorbell rang. "Oh! That must be the pizza guy!" Sango said, jumping up from the table, a little bit too enthusiastically. She was obviously happy to be out of the tense atmosphere, even if only for a short amount of time.

"I'll help!" Miroku offered, practically running after Sango to get out of the room.

This left Kagome and Inuyasha alone at the table together. "So uh… you and Sesshomaru…" Kagome started.

"What about him?" Inuyasha snapped.

"I was just gonna say that you two must be getting along better if the two of you are going on a trip together," Kagome said defensively.

"Yeah… sure…"

"So where are you guys going?" she asked.

"Does it matter?"

"No, I just…"

"You just _what_, Kagome? Listen, Kagome… I know that you have been hanging around my brother quite a bit recently, and I suggest you stop it right now," Inuyasha hissed.

"Stop… what, exactly?"

"Stay away from my brother."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked, utterly confused at this point.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't hang around him anymore, Kagome. He's not good for you."

"Not… good for me how?" Kagome asked, becoming more and more defensive as the conversation progressed.

"He's just… I don't know how to explain it, but he's not really that great of a person. He doesn't care about other people, and you need to be around someone who will care about you, you know? Someone who can take care of you," Inuyasha explained, his voice softening slightly. And it was at this point that Kagome realized that Inuyasha wasn't being threatening at all… the look in his eyes was nothing but pure concern.

Before Kagome could respond, Sango and Miroku had returned with two large boxes of pizza, and some smaller boxes with some sides in them.

After Kagome and Inuyasha's short discussion, the room had become noticeably less tense, and the four friends chatted together as they ate.

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The next morning, Kagome arrived early at Sango's house, and went to her front door to knock and see if she was ready to go while her mother and Souta waited in the car. Kagome smiled warmly when the door opened promptly and there stood Sango and Kohaku, with a few bags apiece.

Kagome was surprised to find out that her younger brother just happened to be best friends with Sango's younger brother, Kohaku. It turned out that the two of them had played on the same soccer team together for quite some time.

They made their way to the airport, and after Kagome promised about seven times to call her mother as soon as they got to the hotel, Kagome, Sango, Kohaku, and Souta all boarded the plane together.

Hours later, in the late afternoon, they exited the plane after it landed at the airport in Osaka and picked up their luggage without incident. They didn't make it very far before Kagome noticed a small, handwritten sign with her and her brother's name on it held by a bored looking man in a suit. She curiously led the group over to the man and he looked at her for a moment while she looked between him and the sign several times. "Miss Higurashi?" he asked. Kagome nodded. "Your father has instructed me to transport you to the hotel. So if you'd all follow me," he said, and gestured toward one of the many exits.

They all followed him outside to a large black limo that was apparently waiting there for them. Kagome couldn't help but be surprised at her obvious new method of transportation. It wasn't that she'd never been in a limo before, and it wasn't like she didn't know her father was rich. He was the head of his own law firm, after all. It was just that she'd been accustomed to her own, more modest life after living at the shrine for her entire life.

Riding in limos was just… weird, especially when you weren't dressed fashionably. Kagome self- consciously looked down at her own outfit. She had dressed comfortably, prepared for a long, boring trip, and hadn't even considered making herself look partially decent, clad in a pair of black sweat pants and a plain gray t-shirt.

She sighed again and stepped inside the limo while the driver loaded all of their luggage into the back. Half an hour later, the limo was slowing to a stop, signaling their arrival. The hotel itself was impressively large, and extremely beautiful, decorated with well-placed fountains surrounded by large, colorful flowers and a perfectly green lawn. Inside, there was a large chandelier hanging from a high ceiling in the lobby, which was decorated in warm, elegant colors; mostly different shades of brown and gold, with expensive-looking art hanging on the walls, as well as an almost obscene amount of mirrors, making the room look even larger than it already was.

This whole atmosphere made Kagome tug uncomfortably at her clothes once again, feeling completely out of place, but she proceeded anyway and followed the driver's instructions to go straight to the front desk and tell the receptionist who she was. Not surprisingly, her father was nowhere to be found. However, at least he'd bothered to leave their keys at the front desk. There were two rooms, both suites, one for Kagome and Sango, and the other for Kohaku and Souta.

Kagome could only hope that the two boys would behave themselves when left on their own, but then she decided that whatever happened in that room would not be her problem, but her father's, who was paying the bill. She smirked a bit and considered breaking a few things once she got to her room, but quickly shook the idea from her head, not wanting to creep Sango out by making her think she was some kind of maniac.

When Sango and Kagome finally made it to their room on the fourth floor, they were both pretty wiped out from the trip, and had decided to take a short nap before going out to do anything. The room itself was also quite impressive, with one large room in the front with a bed, television, dresser and a couch. There was another identical room toward the back of the first room; also inside the suite was a bathroom, and a small kitchen, complete with complimentary champagne.

Kagome decided to take the front room while Sango took the back. After the two unpacked, they both fell asleep in their own rooms. Hours later, Kagome woke up to her stomach growling hungrily and decided to go out and look for food, even though it was well past ten o'clock at night.

After walking around for a while on the fourth floor and not finding anything of interest, Kagome got on one of the many elevators and headed down to the first floor, wandering around until she came across the lobby again, and looked for anything that might look like it served some type of food.

**_Click…click…click…_**

****Kagome paused when she heard a woman's heels clicking across the tiled surface, and looked around briefly to see who was wearing them. She noticed a slender Japanese woman walking across the lobby, seeming important just by the air she held around her.

She turned away and started walking before she realized that there was something about this woman that seemed undeniably familiar. Try as she might, she just couldn't shake the feeling. She shrugged her shoulders and turned around to see if she could still see the woman, since she could still hear her heels clicking across the floor.

**_Click…click… click…_**

Kagome walked relatively quiet across the floor in her sneakers after the woman, her feet falling in time with the other woman, almost giving the illusion that the soft, sophisticated sound was coming from Kagome's own less becoming feet. As Kagome walked after her, she looked at the woman's reflection in one of the many mirrors on the wall. Yes… there was definitely something familiar in this woman's face. Kagome picked up her pace, closing down the space between the two.

Click…click…click…click… 

Kagome walked at an angle so the woman couldn't see her in the mirror behind her, and as she got closer, she realized just how familiar she was. She _had_ to know this woman. Just her figure, even from the distance she was following was so familiar that she felt she'd known this woman her entire life.

Click…click…click… 

By now, Kagome was about ten feet away from the woman's reflection, and she stared at her face, knowing that she'd somehow seen this woman before, and…

"Mom?" Kagome said uncertainly, in a low voice. What was she doing here, and why was she dressed in a dress suit and heels? Kagome was extremely confused.

But her mother continued to walk as if she hadn't even heard Kagome's voice.

Click… click… click… 

"Mom!" Kagome called out again, but once again, her mother didn't turn.

Click… click… click… 

Kagome finally caught up with her mother and grabbed her firmly by the arm. "Hey!" was all she managed to say before she found herself flying through the air, and landing _hard_ on the tile in front of her mother, barely managing to breathe after her mother had perfectly executed such a fast, not to mention violent move. Kagome had _no_ idea her mother was able to do such things.

"Mom?" she breathed from the floor, staring at the woman who had just thrown her over her shoulder, kung fu style.

But her mother had headphones in her ears… that would explain her not answering before. "Oh… I'm sorry… are you okay?" she asked, looking extremely concerned.

Kagome wasn't able to respond. Not because of the unexpected attack, but because something was wrong. She couldn't tell if she was dazed from the hit, or if her mother somehow looked… different. Her hair was short with highlights, and her eyes were… brown?

All this time, Kagome had been sure that her mother had blue eyes.

What the hell was going on?

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but you startled me. Are you alright, miss?" her mother asked, helping her off the ground.

"Uh… sure… but what are you…"

Kagome's mother glanced at her watch, and interrupted Kagome before she had the chance to finish. "I'm really sorry to just leave you after throwing you like that, but I have to run and meet my husband somewhere. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Uh… yeah… but why are you…"

"You know, you look kind of familiar, like I've met you somewhere before, but I'm sure I haven't. Anyway, I've got to be on my way… I'm running late as it is, okay? Bye!" she said and she quickly walked away before Kagome had a chance to figure out what was going on.

Kagome stood there and blinked a few times.

_Husband?_

Kagome's mother had been divorced for _years_. What the hell was that about?

All that Kagome had been able to gather in the last thirty seconds was that apparently, her mother was in disguise, holding down a fake identity and pretending not to know her, but not without learning a few martial arts moves first.

_What?_

_Is my mother stalking me or something?_

_What's up with that disguise?_

_What the **hell** is going on here?_

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**A/N:** Wow… I hope someone out there understands what's going on. This chapter was hard for me to get out… I was half asleep while I wrote most of it, so I'm hoping that it actually makes sense. If not, I guess I can always go back and revise it, but I probably won't.

Anyhow, I know this chapter was a little boring, but I hope you all stick with me while I start picking things up again. Trust me, the drama has just begun. And don't worry. I promise some serious Sesshomaru/ Kagome fluff coming up soon. (winkwink)

Yay! This chapter's target number of reviews is…**295**! Even though 300 would be absolutely _wonderful_. So yeah… no chapter 19 until 295 reviews are in… aren't you guys curious to know what's going on here?

Later!


	19. Sixteen Hours

**A/N: ** Dang! You guys really reviewed the last chapter _quick_! That's okay, though… it just means that I have to write faster… haha

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When Kagome woke up the next morning with a sore back and a throbbing headache, she was reasonably irritated when Sango bounced into her room, talking about going out.

"Come on, Kagome! Get up! We need to check out the hotel, go swimming, and check out the city! Rise and shine!" Sango said, practically floating around the room.

"Can't you just give me another hour?" Kagome muttered into her pillow.

"No way! We've been in this room for over twelve hours. We didn't come all this way just to sleep," she exclaimed, pulling the sheets off of Kagome in one swift motion. "Besides. The maids need to do their jobs… we'll just be in the way, so come on!" Sango insisted.

"Alright, alright… just get me some Advil or something first," Kagome said groggily.

Sango hurried into her room and returned with a bottle of Advil. "Oh, man… I'm sorry Kagome. Are you feeling okay? I didn't know… we can stay here if you want," Sango offered.

As tempting as her suggestion was, Kagome could hear the disappointment in Sango's voice, and decided to just deal with the pain. For a moment, she debated on telling Sango about the incident with her mother last night, but she then decided against it. She didn't need to add extra drama to this trip… enough would be coming soon enough. "No, I'll be fine," Kagome said, perking her voice up a bit. "Just get me a few Advil and I'll be good in twenty minutes, kay? What do you want to do first?"

Sango had a list. A list of things to do. Well, it wasn't really a hand-written list, but more like a hotel brochure, as well as several ads from different locations around the city. "Well, I thought we could start off by eating breakfast in the hotel, then we could go check out some of the places on the guide, and then maybe later we could check out some clubs and…"

"Sango, what time is it?" Kagome asked, finally starting to come out of her somewhat groggy state.

"I dunno… about 7:30?" Sango guessed.

Kagome blinked. "In the morning?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you _like_ waking up this early?"

"I guess so… why?" Sango asked, clearly confused. Kagome shook her head and wondered how any normal human being could _possibly_ be so energetic so early in the morning. Then again, Sango also hadn't been flipped over her mother's shoulder late last night for no apparent reason.

Kagome tried to suspend the memory from her mind. "No reason. I just didn't know you were such a… morning person."

Sango just looked at her and shrugged. "Well, hurry up and get dressed. I'm gonna go watch TV in my room, so just let me know when you're ready, okay?"

"Sure," Kagome said, stretching her arms and yawning as she sat upright on her bed. All she wanted to do was lie down and go back to sleep for the next two weeks, avoiding her father, but she didn't want to ruin Sango's vacation, so, as speedily as she could, she showered and got dressed, then the two girls were on their way down to the breakfast area.

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Meanwhile, three young men were having a _very_ difficult time navigating on their road trip.

"Sesshomaru, how long until the next stop?" Inuyasha asked, squirming in the passenger seat next to him. Sesshomaru was driving.

"Look at the map," he answered.

"Well, according to the map, we just passed a gas station, a fire department, three restaurants and a small elementary school," Inuyasha answered, looking at some papers in his lap.

Sesshomaru glanced in his mirror, noting that there was absolutely _nothing_ behind them but dirt and weeds. "What the hell kind of map are you looking at?" Sesshomaru growled.

"The one you gave me, ass hole!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Well then obviously you can't read."

"Or maybe you can't drive."

"I've been following your directions the entire time."

"Then where the hell is…" Inuyasha looked down at the map again, "McDonald's?"

"I wouldn't know. You're the one with the map," Sesshomaru responded coolly.

"Well the map says it should be coming up on the right pretty soon…" Inuyasha said, and looked at the road ahead… nothing even resembling civilization was ahead.

Miroku piped up from the back seat. "Are you sure we haven't just passed it already?"

"Have we passed _anything_ in the last twenty minutes?" Inuyasha growled impatiently, when Sesshomaru snatched the map from Inuyasha's hands, nearly giving him a paper cut. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru said slowly.

"What?" Inuyasha spat.

"Where are we?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You're the one with the map, dumb ass!" Inuyasha yelled.

"No, I mean where are we?"

"Like hell I know! We're somewhere in Japan!"

"Then tell me why, exactly…" Sesshomaru took a short breath. "Tell me why you are reading to me off of a **_map of KANSAS_**?" he said, slamming the map across Inuyasha's chest.

"Kansas?" Inuyasha asked, stupefied. "Where the hell is that?"

"It's in America, Inuyasha," Miroku said calmly from the back seat. Somehow, he knew that a fight was about to start.

"_Well why the fuck would you give me a map of freakin' Kansas?_" Inuyasha shouted.

"Because the map we _need_ is on the back. Can't you read?" Sesshomaru asked angrily. "Thanks to you, we don't know where we are."

"Well if you would have just _told_ me…"

"Well if you would have just _read the damn map_ properly!"

"Don't you blame this on me!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I don't know anyone else giving me faulty directions," Sesshomaru snapped.

"You should have let me drive!"

"And what, wreck this car? No," Sesshomaru said, glaring at his younger brother, but still driving the car swiftly forward. In fact, it seemed like they were picking up speed.

"Hey, you guys…" Miroku started.

"_Stay out of this_!" they both snapped at him simultaneously.

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Inuyasha challenged, not caring that they were in a speeding car going down the high way.

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered simply.

"That's it!" Inuyasha shouted, then unbuckled his seat belt and dove across the armrest to get to his brother, punching him square in the jaw.

"Bring it on, little brother," Sesshomaru said, and the two started boxing in the front seat, not bothering to pay any attention to the road anymore until the loud horn of an approaching semi truck on the other side of the highway straight towards them got their attention. For a moment, the two froze in the front seat, and just as Miroku was about to dive over the front seat to regain control of the vehicle, Sesshomaru jumped back into the driver's seat and swerved quickly out of the way of the oncoming truck.

Unfortunately, one of the rear tires struck something in the road and practically exploded on impact. A few seconds later, it became apparent that they were stuck on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere with a very flat tire.

The three sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before Inuyasha finally spoke up again. "I told you to let me drive…" he grumbled.

Sesshomaru, surprisingly, didn't respond. He calmly opened his door and exited the car. At first, it seemed as if he was only getting out to assess the damage of the tire, but seconds later, his intentions were made clear when he yanked open Inuyasha's door, dragged him out by the front of his shirt, and started to pummel him on the side of the road.

Inside the car, Miroku slammed his head against the window and sighed. _This was going to be a **long** two weeks…_

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Six hours of driving, nineteen separate arguments, two stops, and two hundred and thirty seven profane words spoken (or yelled) later, the three had arrived at their destination, only to be scolded by Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father for not calling.

"_Sixteen hours? _You two are _sixteen hours _late, and you couldn't even bother to _call?_" he nearly shouted. "What the _hell_ could have held you up for _sixteen hours_?"

"Fifteen and a half…" Inuyasha muttered.

"What?" his father asked.

"Fifteen and a half."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"We're only fifteen and a half hours late. We said we'd be here by 8:30 last night, and it is currently… noon," Inuyasha said, looking at his watch.

"_Don't_ give me any of that. Just… go clean yourselves up or something," Inuyasha's father responded, suppressing his urge to shout. He let out a deep breath and began to massage his temples. _Obviously_, vacationing with his sons was a _terrible_ idea. Not only were they _sixteen_ hours late, they looked as if they'd already been fighting… wonderful.

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Around two, Sango and Kagome returned to their room from the hotel's spa in order to get changed and go out again. However, their plans were foiled when the two found a package with an envelope attached to it on the floor in the front room.

Sango raised an eyebrow when she saw it was addressed to a _Miss Kagome Higurashi_. "What's that all about?" she asked.

Kagome shrugged, trying to act like she had no idea what was going on. "I don't know…" she lied…but she already knew who the package was from.

"Well open it then!" Sango urged.

Kagome obliged, opening the envelope first.

_Kagome-_

_I called earlier, but I guess I just missed you, so I had room service deliver this to your room. There is a small banquet tonight, and I'd like if you and your friend would attend. It's a good opportunity for you to start meeting some very important people._

_I called your mother to ask her for dress sizes, and I had my secretary pick the two out that are in the package, just in case you two didn't bring any. I hope you like them._

_I'll see you in the **Red Room** at Seven._

_Dad_

Sango, who was reading over Kagome's shoulder the entire time, was utterly confused. "Kagome…" she started.

"We're not really here on vacation," Kagome blurted.

"What…?"

"We're here because my father forced me to come so I could attend a series of banquets and business parties. He told me I could invite a friend, so I decided to ask you. I didn't think you'd want to come if I told you the whole truth, so I kind of… lied…" Kagome said hurriedly.

"I see."

"Are you mad? I'm sorry, Sango. I just…"

"You know, I would have come even if you told me the truth."

"You would have?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Sure. I don't really mind this kind of thing too much. I just wish you would have told me so that I could have brought something suitable to wear," Sango lectured.

Kagome couldn't help but practically tackle Sango in a bone-crushing hug. "Thanks, Sango."

Sango laughed and patted Kagome's back. "Don't worry about it. Just stop crushing me, okay?" After she let go, Sango reached for the package. "Well let's see what that secretary of his picked out…" she said, and pulled out two very elegant- looking evening gowns. "Damn… these are _nice_…" Sango said, laying them both across Kagome's bed. "So which one do you want?"

Kagome shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. I don't even _want_ to go."

"But Kagome, you _have_ to. It's your _father_," Sango said, and gave her a meaningful look.

Kagome glared at Sango for a second, and angrily grumbled some profane things about this _father_ of hers, and then sighed, silently agreeing to go. Sango smiled, and after a few hours of watching television and chatting, the two were dressed and headed down to the **Red Room**, whatever that was.

It was surprisingly easy to find, as all the "banquet" rooms were on the same floor, and there were several directional signs. The two had arrived just before seven thirty, so the room was already pretty quiet. Kagome was hoping she and Sango could just sneak in, snag a seat in the back, and…

"Kagome!" a mature-sounding male voice called.

No such luck. She tried to ignore it, but Sango pulled on her arm and pointed to the man calling her name. She knew she should at least make an effort to smile, but Kagome couldn't help but scowl at the man as he approached them.

"Good evening…_father_," she practically spat the word _father_ out as if just saying it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Hello Kagome, and…" he trailed off, looking in Sango's direction.

"Sango. I'm a good friend of Kagome's," she introduced herself with a small bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Sango. I have space at my table for the two of you, if you'd like to join us," he said, gesturing across the room, and started to walk, signaling the two of them to follow him.

_I could just turn around and leave… he'd never notice until he got to the table. And then, I could…_

"_Kagome_… come on," Sango urged Kagome to follow her father.

"Whatever…" she muttered, following after Sango.

When they approached the table, a few people looked questioningly at Kagome's father. "This is my other daughter, Kagome, and her friend, Sango," he explained, gesturing to each one separately. They nodded in understanding.

"You look just like your father," one of the women observed.

"She's very beautiful. You must be proud," another one said.

Kagome's father put an arm around her shoulders. "I sure am," he beamed.

Kagome tried so hard not to gag. _Yeah…right._

After all of the introductions were made, someone went to the front of the room to speak. It turned out this whole thing was just a birthday party/ engagement announcement celebration, and it was _extremely_ boring sitting there and listening to the people at Kagome's table speak, and it was even more difficult actually pretending to care.

Finally, the party was over, and Kagome excused herself while Sango stayed behind to speak with someone she apparently knew. She was halfway to the door when she heard a voice calling.

"Excuse me!" the male was saying, making his way toward her. "Hey, wait for just a second!"

Kagome ground her teeth together in an attempt to smile, and stopped just outside the door, wondering who the hell still needed to speak with her. Finally, he caught up with her and held his hand out for her to shake. "Kagome! It's good to see you again," he said, smiling.

"What?" she asked obviously confused.

The mad frowned. "You mean you don't remember me?" he asked.

"Uh…"

"We met last year…"

"Uh…"

"Remember James Bond…?" he hinted.

"Anthony Moore!" Kagome exclaimed. "Wow… you look so different with your hair grown out like that, but it looks great."

"You're looking quite beautiful yourself," he said, smiling again. "So what brings you out here today?"

"Long story short, I'm here with a friend of mine, and my father is having us go to like, a billion different events in the next two weeks. What about you?" Kagome asked, finally happy to know someone here besides her father, Sango, and… (her mother…?)

"Me? Oh, I work with that guy," he said, pointing toward the man who had just announced his engagement to "the woman of his dreams" or something like that.

"Oh really? I thought you worked for…" Kagome trailed off as she saw a flash of white going around a corner about fifty meters away from her. "Excuse me," she said, and took off down the hallway.

"Uh… sure…" Anthony said, watching Kagome as she ran away, then shrugged and walked back into the room.

_That color… it has to be his hair… it's gotta be him…_ Kagome was thinking as she ran as fast as she could in the heels she was wearing, which, unfortunately wasn't fast enough as she rounded the corner she'd been aiming for. There was nobody there, except for a few young men standing around talking.

Kagome shook her head slowly.

That flash of white could have been anything. Clothes, luggage, sheets… hair. But what could Inuyasha or Sesshomaru be doing here? Inuyasha had said that the two of them (and Miroku) were going on a trip. There was no way… unless…

No… even if that was someone's hair, Kagome started to doubt that she'd actually seen Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. She was sure there were plenty of tall males with long hair, so pale that it looked white. After all, she already knew of three.

This trip was just getting weirder by the minute.

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**A/N: ** Whaaaaat? I promise things are going to start making sense soon, so keep reviewing.

I'd like…**315** reviews for this chapter. I'm going away for a few days, so I know I'd be _super_ excited to come back and find that many reviews in my inbox. I'm trying _really_ hard to finish this before August 7th, because I'm going to go away for at _least_ four weeks, and I _really_ doubt that I'll be able to get on my computer during that time…

Anyway, I've got a little over two weeks to do it, so I'll work hard (although I doubt I'll have the time…)!

See ya later! And remember… **Review**!


	20. Lies

**A/N:** Remember that trip I was talking about last chapter? I sprained my ankle pretty badly. It was swollen to about twice its regular size… I swear it was so big I thought it was going to explode! And then it was changing colors, too! Like… monstrous bruises… yuck…. Anyhow, it's starting to heal, so I'll quit whining. Although I'll admit that when I came home (about a day early _because_ of the injury), I was so angry that I wouldn't even answer my cell phone when people called… sweatdrop … I can be a bit… melodramatic at times… hahaha.

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A few days had passed, and as Kagome sat in her room and stared at her phone, she slowly grew increasingly more confused. A message… on the hotel phone… from her mother. She hit the 'play' button again.

"_Hi Kagome… it's your mother. I hope you're enjoying your trip so far… I guess you forgot to call when you arrived, but I'm sure that you and Sango arrived safely. After all, your father told me so when I called trying to find a way to reach you, but he said he hadn't actually seen you or Sango in a few days… I was a bit worried, actually… Anyway, call me back when you get the chance! Bye!_"

To be perfectly honest, Kagome was a bit… _ insulted_. Her mother really thought she was that stupid? She really thought that Kagome couldn't see through a little disguise?

Kagome slammed her finger down on the 'delete' button, as if it would have the same effect as slamming a door in a quiet house. It didn't, but it did make her feel a bit better. She decided she wouldn't bother to call home, seeing as how her mother wasn't even _there_, obviously.

Apparently, Kagome had missed the call while she and Sango had been out preparing for tomorrow night's banquet. The two bought new dresses, shoes, and scheduled appointments for their hair and nails at an extremely expensive salon. Normally, Kagome wouldn't be interested in spending money so haphazardly, but the money wasn't hers. She smirked as she looked at her father's credit card. Just because she hated him didn't mean she couldn't spend all of his money!

Despite her actions for the past few days- dining at expensive restaurants, going out to clubs, and doing _way_ too much shopping, Kagome did feel a bit guilty for using her father the way she was…

_Oh well… he owes me._

At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

Kagome shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of her guilty thoughts. _Now is _not_ the time to start using my conscience._ She looked up as Sango exited her room and smiled.

"You ready to go?" Sango asked.

"Yep!" Kagome said cheerfully, thankful to leave the phone and her room behind, on the chance that one of her parents decided to check up on her again.

Actually, Kagome hadn't even seen her father since the last banquet. Not that she cared anyway… _if I ever see him again, it'll be too soon… even though I am a _bit _curious to know why he was so insistent on me coming… oh well._

Sango was saying something, but Kagome only nodded and said "uh-huh" or "yeah" at the appropriate time, and Sango didn't really seem to notice that she was being more or less ignored for the night.

Soon, the two would be entering a club or bar… or something… (Kagome hadn't really caught which one it would be) and the music would be too loud for anyone to even hear their own thoughts. Not that Kagome minded… she was tired of hearing them anyway.

Everything these days seemed to make her think of something unpleasant: school, Koga, her father, Nara-

"Here we are!" Sango exclaimed. "Wow, it's even bigger than they said it would be. Awesome! Let's go in."

Kagome resisted the urge to sigh. Sometimes, it was a bit difficult to keep up with Sango's "party girl" tendencies, but most of the time, she managed to enjoy herself somehow.

A few hours of dancing, unwanted male attention, wanted male attention, and a few free drinks later, Kagome and Sango decided to take a cab back to the hotel… paid for by Kagome's father's credit card, of course. Kagome learned that she really didn't mind wasting money, as long as it wasn't hers.

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The next day, while Kagome and Sango finished getting ready for the next banquet, which was to be held in the "Green Room", the two started talking again.

"You know, I don't really mind going to these 'banquet' things, or whatever they are, but sometimes I feel kind of weird, since I don't really know anyone, or have a date or anything… I just feel out of place amongst all the other couples, you know?" Sango said while putting on earrings in the mirror.

"Well, I get the feeling we're gonna meet some _very important_ people tonight," Kagome responded from her seat in front of the television- she'd _been_ done getting ready. Sango just took a little longer.

Sango paused to glance at Kagome. "Why do you say that?"

Kagome waved a piece of paper. "Because that's what it says in the note- _I have some very important people to introduce to you._ I wonder what that's all about?"

"Probably some client of his. It's probably not even anyone worth meeting," Sango sighed. "Oh well," she perked up again, "at least we've been meeting other fun people, right?" she grinned.

"Sure," Kagome said half-heartedly. The two of them had gotten a few phone numbers from several different men, none of whom Kagome intended to contact any time in the future.

"So do you think we should start heading down there?" Sango suggested, going toward the door.

"I don't see why not… the party only started…" Kagome glanced at the clock on the wall, "fifty-three minutes ago."

Sango gasped. "Why didn't you tell me we were running so late?"

Kagome shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Sango just shook her head at her friend's lack of enthusiasm. "Let's go."

When Kagome and Sango arrived in the "Green Room", which was substantially larger than the "Red Room", the party was in full swing. People were laughing, drinking, and dancing to loud music. Kagome assumed that this was a birthday party, judging by the balloons and the few banners exclaiming "Happy Birthday!" in large, colorful letters.

She wondered briefly whose birthday it was, when it suddenly hit her. It was her _father's_ birthday. For a short moment, she wondered whether she should have brought a gift- that is, until she realized that she really didn't care. She turned around to say something to Sango, but then she realized that she was all alone.

Kagome sighed. "Great…" she muttered to herself. They hadn't even been here for _five minutes_, and Sango already decided to pull the 'disappearing best friend' trick. Wonderful. Just fucking wonderful.

Kagome stood in the same spot for a minute and contemplated just turning around and leaving when her father, who waved her over to him, spotted her. She considered ignoring him, but her conscience got the better of her, and she decided to just tell him 'happy birthday', _then_ leave.

"Kagome! I'm so happy you could make it!" he shouted a bit louder than necessary as soon as Kagome was within arm's reach, and then hugged her tightly. Obviously, the man was drunk. Great. Nothing like alcohol to get the old 'fatherly love' thing started.

Kagome stood stiffly and didn't hug her father back, but he didn't really seem to notice as he pulled away. "Not like I could go anywhere else…" Kagome mumbled.

Her father leaned in toward her again. "What's that? I can't hear you over the music!" He practically yelled into her ear.

Kagome flinched, then sighed. Might as well get it over with.

"Happy Birthday, father."

But as her father looked excitedly to her left, she felt like the words had never even left her mouth. She glanced over to see what he was looking at, and she was extremely surprised to see…

"Kikyo?" Kagome said, completely shocked.

"Hello, Kagome," Kikyo said. She looked significantly less shocked than Kagome, but still a bit surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked.

Kikyo smiled a bit. "I can't say that I'm not surprised to see you here so… soon…"

Kagome's father finally spoke up. "Wow! You two have already met? That's great! Kagome, Kikyo's one of the people I wanted you to meet. She's…" Kagome's father trailed off as he looked past Kagome yet again.

_Who is it now?_

"Kyoko!" he shouted, and then waved somebody over. "Come here! I want you to meet Kagome!"

When Kyoko made her way through the crowd, Kagome found herself face-to-face with her _mother_… again… and she was still in disguise.

Kyoko froze when she saw Kikyo and Kagome standing side by side. "Wow… I heard that the two of you looked alike, but now that you're standing together… wow… you two could almost pass for twins!" she said, smiling. "But you do have your mother's eyes… how is she, by the way?"

"Uh… what?" was all Kagome could come up with.

"Kagome, I want you to meet your aunt Kyoko," her father said behind her enthusiastically.

"Aunt… Kyoko?" Kagome echoed. Like _Ryoko_, as in her _mother's_ name? This was either some kind of sick joke, or…

"And you've already met our daughter Kikyo…" he started again.

"Who?" Kagome asked.

"Kikyo. Your half- sister."

"My half… what?"

"Half sister! You know, same dad, different mother…" he started.

"I know, but how?" Kagome asked. She was trying to keep herself from becoming hysterical.

"Kagome, I thought you already knew how children were made…" her father began.

"No! Not like that!" Kagome shouted.

It was her father's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't get it," Kagome said, now thoroughly confused. And for some reason, this was making her highly irritated. She was tempted to pinch herself and make sure this whole ordeal wasn't a dream, but… she was pretty sure she didn't want to know if it wasn't.

"Don't get… what?" he asked, and nodded at Kyoko and Kikyo, who left to give the two some privacy.

Kagome tried not to shout again, but she did. She raised an angry finger in Kyoko's direction. "_This_ is why you left us? You had an _affair_ with my mother's _sister_? Why bother? They look the exact same! Or was it that you just couldn't stand to look at your tainted daughter anymore?"

"Affair?"

"Yes, you know, when you _cheat_ on your spouse. When you have _sex _with someone else!"

"Kagome, I know what an affair is."

"Then why are you acting so confused?"

"Kagome, your mother and I were never married."

"What?"

"We were never…"

"Then how was I…" Kagome started. She didn't even know how to phrase the question.

Rei shook his head and looked down. "It's a long, complicated story, Kagome."

Kagome folded her arms and glared at him. "Tell me about it, _Rei_," she spat.

"Don't get me wrong, Kagome. I'm still your father. It's just that what happened with me and your mother, it was a mistake. A miscommunication error. See, we were at a Halloween party when we first met. The only problem was, neither of us knew that the other existed. I didn't know that Kyoko had a twin, and Ryoko didn't know that her fiancé, my brother, had a twin. See, we were supposed to all meet each other there, and…"

"Wait… you have a twin brother? How do I know he isn't my father?" Kagome asked.

"Had. Sei got in a motorcycle accident and died just before the wedding date… Souta was born a few months later. We know he's not your father because Sei and Ryoko hadn't seen each other for a month before the event. And after he found out- I mean, he walked in on Ryoko and while we were… well, you know- he disappeared for three years before he finally forgave your mother, and the two decided they would get married again. I'm not surprised you don't remember. He was really hesitant to come around the house. I guess he was uncomfortable with seeing you, knowing that you weren't his kid…"

"So then… you're not Souta's father? Why lie to him all this time? Why lie to _me_?" Kagome was beginning to get upset again.

"Ryoko… your mother and I thought that it would be best if…"

"You thought it would be best to _lie_ to a pair of _bastard children_? Make them feel loved?" Kagome spat.

"Kagome, don't talk like that," Rei insisted.

"Why not? Why bother to tell me the truth if you want me to act like it doesn't exist? You're fucked up!" Kagome shouted. A few people surrounding them had stopped to glance at Kagome.

"Kagome, I know what's going on. You're surprised, that's all. And you're turning your shock into anger, and that's okay…" Rei said in a calming voice.

"Don't give me any of your psycho-analytical bull shit! I'm just pissed because you hung around for all that time and acted like someone you weren't. And when I needed you, when I really fucking needed that support from you, you up and left! And now that I see you again after all these years, I'm finally learning that my entire life has been a lie?"

"Kagome, your life hasn't been a lie. You're my daughter, and I love you, as well as Souta."

"Then why couldn't you tell me the truth before? Why did you leave when I needed you three years ago?"

"Kagome, I had to leave. Your sister… Kikyo was in a car accident, and for six months, she was in a coma."

"So your comatose daughter was more important than my crisis?"

"Kagome, you weren't going to die."

"I was damn near it! Do you have any idea what I went through?" Kagome hissed angrily, but before Rei had the chance to respond, Kagome interrupted him. "No, you don't. Because you left your bastard daughter behind!"

"Kagome, the circumstances of your birth have nothing to do with how much I love you," Rei insisted.

"But you love Kikyo more."

"I never said…"

"But you thought it," she said before she spun around and began to walk away.

"Kagome, don't go. There's still more people I need you to meet."

"I don't know that I actually want to know that they exist, Rei," Kagome said, and with that, she had disappeared from her father's vision into the crowd.

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Twenty minutes and three glasses of wine later, Kagome still hadn't found Sango. She wanted nothing more than to just leave this wretched place, but after the last party they'd been to, Sango made Kagome _promise_ not to leave her behind again.

Kagome sat down on one of the bar stools and sighed as she leaned her arm on the bar and rested her chin on top of her fist. She scanned the room for a few more minutes until a man sat down next to her. She didn't bother to turn and see who he was, but she could tell that he was looking at her.

"Excuse me, miss. Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

Kagome turned in her stool so she wasn't facing away from him completely, but she still didn't bother to look at him as she shrugged. The man ordered the two some kind of hard liquor, and for a while, they just drank in silence.

"Are you alright? You look distressed," he said, resting his hand on her thigh.

Kagome impatiently removed his hand. She was drunk, but she wasn't an idiot. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You seem like a pretty enough girl… is there a reason you're sitting here all alone?"

"I'm a little upset right now, okay? But I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to pry into my personal life. I don't know you," Kagome snapped.

But the man didn't get the hint. He leaned so close to Kagome that she could feel his breath on her ear. "I can make you feel all better… let's go somewhere private…"

At this point, Kagome was not only startled, but she was offended. Where did this guy get off, thinking he could talk to her like…

"Naraku…" she breathed. There he was, sitting not six inches away, with his hands placed roughly on her hips, pulling her toward him in a somewhat sinister manner, and Kagome found herself unable to react. She knew that she should kick him, scream, run, or do something, but she couldn't. She was stuck there because he had succeeded in scaring her. Again.

"I missed you too," was all he said before he firmly planted his lips over her own, kissing her almost violently as his hands wandered to places they definitely shouldn't have been. He pulled away and suggested that they should go to his room, and he started to pull her along by her wrist toward the back exit.

"No… stop it…" she said weakly, wishing that she could somehow gain the power to scream for help, but she couldn't.

She continued to protest as they got closer to the door, and had started to raise her voice until he shoved her into a wall, smothering her body with his own. "Now listen here, you little whore. You're going with me to my room, and you're going to enjoy it, understand?" Kagome didn't answer. "Good," he said, and leaned forward to kiss her neck, but suddenly, he jerked away from her, as if she was somehow diseased.

It took Kagome a moment to realize that he hadn't exactly moved by his own will, rather he had been jerked away and punched viciously in the face by another man.

It was Kagome's knight…

Her knight in shining… shining… hair.

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**A/N:** Omg it's chapter 20! Oh yeah, somebody asked me if this was going to be my last chapter…um… it's not, just so you know. I think I'll be done by chapter 25, though…

Anyway, I think I'm too damn tired, and in too much pain to actually say anything else about this chapter, except that I really don't like it, so I don't think I feel like going back to edit it… huh… oh well. Hope it turned out okay.

Anyhow, **335 reviews**, please… Thank you for those of you actually reviewing! For real! It really does make me update faster, I swear!

It's 4:07 in the morning, and I am officially signing out… good night!


	21. Lust and Alcohol

**A/N:** Wow. I cannot believe that I've made it to 21 chapters… it's amazing. And it's all thanks to you guys, the readers! That, and my unwillingness to end the damn story… hm… I guess it's a bit of a mixture of both, huh? Oh well! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It may be your last for a little while, unless my brain miraculously starts working hella quick.

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After Sesshomaru had pulled Naraku off of Kagome, he proceeded to pummel him with well-aimed, angry fists. As much as it may have looked like it, this beating was nothing like the ones he tended to give Inuyasha when he'd managed to do something to piss him off.

No, this was different.

This was the first time in years- possibly in Sesshomaru's entire lifetime, the first time that he'd ever had the intention of actually killing someone.

Sesshomaru took a quick break from punching Naraku and grabbed the man by the collar, shoving him hard into a wall. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing?" Sesshomaru hissed.

"What are you doing, man?" Naraku asked, thoroughly confused. "I thought we were friends."

Sesshomaru growled and punched Naraku hard across the jaw. "Answer my question."

"What?"

"What were you going to do?"

In a normal situation, Naraku would have shoved Sesshomaru away and told him to 'fuck off'. But in this case, Naraku actually feared for his life. He'd only once seen Sesshomaru marginally irritated with his brother, but he'd never actually seen him _angry_. In fact, Naraku briefly wondered whether he could have moved even if he had the courage to. Naraku waived his hands in front of him in desperation. "It was nothing like that! Really. I was just… messing around, you see?"

"Yeah? Well you chose the wrong person to mess with," Sesshomaru said as he raised his fist to strike Naraku again, but someone caught his arm from behind and started pulling him back. "Hey!" he shouted.

"Sesshomaru! What are you doing? Cut it out!" came Inuyasha's voice from behind.

"Let me go!"

"No! What is your problem…" Inuyasha trailed off as he finally saw the man Sesshomaru was, apparently, planning on hurting very badly. "Naraku…" he hissed.

Just then, Miroku walked up with Sango next to him. "Hey guys… what's going on?" he asked, sensing the tense atmosphere. Then, looking in the same direction as the two brothers, he saw what the problem was.

"Never mind. Go ahead and kill him, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled, releasing his firm grip on his brother.

Sesshomaru pushed his sleeves back. "My pleasure."

Miroku, who was apparently the only one with his brain still intact, decided to step in. "_Whoa_ there… how about we all just… calm down for a sec, okay?" he said, stepping in between Sesshomaru and Naraku.

"Mind your own business, Houshi," Sesshomaru barked.

"Sesshomaru. I know what's going on, and I understand that you seriously want a piece out of this guy. But now is _not_ the time," Miroku hissed, gesturing to the small crowd sending curious glances in their group's direction.

Sesshomaru looked around and debated on whether to still go after Naraku or not, but thought better of it, and stepped back.

Inuyasha, always the irrational one, was having none of it. "Sesshomaru, what are you doing? We can't just let him…"

"Shut up," Sesshomaru said firmly. "Now is not the time."

"Whatever," Inuyasha said angrily.

Sesshomaru looked around a bit. "Where's Kagome?" he asked, suddenly a bit alarmed.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I have no idea."

Nobody else knew where she'd gone, so Sesshomaru decided to leave and search for Kagome, but not before slugging Naraku in the gut on his way out. "Stay away from her," Sesshomaru hissed.

After what happened with Naraku only minutes before, Sesshomaru thought it would be unlikely that Kagome would hang around inside any longer, so he decided to leave the party and search for her in the hotel.

When Sesshomaru finally exited the room, he didn't have to look too far for Kagome. He found her sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees, holding them tight to her chest as she leaned against the wall and trembled.

As Sesshomaru approached her, he began to feel even guiltier than he had before. If he had bothered to pay any attention, then he would have known that Kagome would be here, and he would have had the opportunity to protect her before that bastard Naraku had gotten to her. He shook his head and took a quick breath.

"Kagome…?" he called gently, and Kagome jerked out of the trance he hadn't even realized she'd been in, and looked at him with large, nervous eyes that instantly relaxed when she realized who had called her name.

"Hey…" she said softly, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Hey…" he said, then knelt down next to her. "You feeling okay?"

Kagome was a bit surprised at Sesshomaru's manner, but decided not to say anything. She opened her mouth to speak, then paused, thought a bit, and finally responded. "I'm uh… I'm not sure," she said, embarrassed when her voice became raw again and tears started welling up in her eyes.

Sesshomaru sat down next to her, leaning against the wall as he stared hard at the one opposite the two. "Oh…" was all he said. Sesshomaru obviously wasn't very experienced in comforting other people.

The two sat there in relative silence for a few more minutes, Sesshomaru just sitting there and listening to Kagome's soft cries. "Thanks."

"Yeah."

"I was really scared… I mean, I didn't know what I would do if he…" Kagome started, and then broke off into sobs again, leaning on Sesshomaru's shoulder for support.

Sesshomaru sat there and listened to Kagome crying for the next five minutes, allowing her to cry into his sleeve until he finally spoke again. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, feeling her tears starting to soak through his shirt onto his skin.

When Kagome didn't respond, he considered asking her again in case she hadn't heard him the first time, until he finally felt her shake her head weekly and the volume in her cries started to increase. Finally, he stood up, and Kagome opened her red eyes to look at him, obviously a bit confused.

Sesshomaru offered his hand to Kagome to help her stand, and somehow, this simple action caused more tears to flow as she graciously accepted his gesture and stood with him, wiping her tears on her arm as the two walked, hand in hand down the hall.

Kagome didn't bother to ask where they were going, and Sesshomaru didn't bother to explain either when they arrived at his room. He simply unlocked the door, stepped aside, and allowed Kagome in first. "Just make yourself comfortable," Sesshomaru said, and sat down at the desk in his room while Kagome gratefully took the bed.

"Thanks," Kagome said, still wiping tears from her eyes as she sat on the bed, taking the box of Kleenex and bottle of alcohol Sesshomaru offered her.

Sesshomaru wasn't really sure what to do at this point, so he just opened his laptop and attempted to work on a paper that was due when he returned from break. At first, he wasn't really getting much progress done, but as Kagome started to visibly relax, he was able to do so as well.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being Sesshomaru's steady typing on his keyboard. Kagome pulled a book from his bedside table and started to read until she dozed off and fell asleep in Sesshomaru's bed.

Noticing that Kagome had been uncharacteristically quiet for about twenty minutes, Sesshomaru finally looked away from his work to see what was occupying her. He smirked when he saw she was lying down, face first into his copy of _The Grapes of Wrath_. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered him, had he not noticed the bit of drool dripping from her lips and onto the soft pages. He sighed and walked over to the bed, then knelt on the ground next to her, gently turning her over on her side, and attempting to wrench the book from her grasp. "Kagome… Kagome let go of it…" he whispered, trying to coax her into letting go of his prized book. "Kagome…"

Finally, she released the book. But Sesshomaru made the mistake of patting her hand comfortingly when her face scrunched up strangely, looking as if she were about to cry again. She grabbed onto his right hand with her left, clutching it to her chest as she turned over to face away from him, dragging the upper half of his torso across the bed with her. Slight color appeared on his face as she laced her fingers through his. Now, he had his arm draped awkwardly across her frame. He climbed up onto the bed, sitting on his knees, and attempted to pull his hand from hers without waking her. However, the harder he pulled, the more she gripped onto his hand.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome said sleepily. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to… uh… don't worry about it," he said, looking away to hide his face.

"You're holding my hand."

"So I am."

"Sesshomaru, have you ever killed a man?" Kagome asked, now fully awake.

Sesshomaru blinked. _That was random_. "You're awake," he said, turning to look at her.

"So I am," Kagome answered, and, with her free hand, tucked a stray hair behind Sesshomaru's ear. When she leaned in close, he noticed how glazed her eyes seemed to be from crying.

"Have you been awake the whole time?"

"No, I just woke up when I realized you were holding my hand."

"You were holding mine."

"Then why haven't you let go?"

"Because you haven't let go of mine," he answered. Both of them looked down at their hands, but made no move to let the other go. Sesshomaru sat down next to her, and leaned against the headboard, still holding Kagome's hand. She sat up as well, releasing his hand momentarily and taking the hand closest to her.

They sat in silence for a moment, just holding hands before Kagome broke the silence. "You never answered my question."

"And which one would that be?"

Kagome turned to face him, resting her free hand on his thigh. "Have you ever killed a man, Sesshomaru?" she asked him again.

"Why would you ask me something like that?"

Kagome turned away, removing her hand from its previous resting place. "It's just… you're so cold sometimes. You seem… almost capable."

"Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes, it is."

"Well. You're wrong. I have not."

Kagome sat for a moment, before asking her next question. "Well, have you ever wanted to kill a man?"

"Have you?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome leaned on Sesshomaru, and he hesitated before putting his arm around her. She shivered for a moment, and he pulled her onto his lap, securely wrapping both of his arms around her as he rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Have you?" he repeated.

Kagome nodded lightly. "I have. Every day of my life, you know? I imagine all sorts of horrible ways to kill him, every day. Every single day of my life. And I realize, that I shouldn't feel this way, and it makes me a horrible person, Sesshomaru. It's tearing me up, I…"

"It doesn't make you a bad person, Kagome. You've done nothing wrong."

"But that night. If I would have stayed with Koga, I'd have been okay, I would have been happy, and Dad…"

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was."

"Were you looking for that to happen to you that night?"

"I didn't want it to happen… I…" Kagome choked back a sob.

"Would you ever cheat?"

Kagome turned her head to face Sesshomaru, and he loosened his grip on her. "No. I wouldn't."

"Then you are not to blame," he said, as he put his hand on her cheek to pull her face toward his.

"But my Dad said that I…" Kagome began, but she was silenced with Sesshomaru's chaste kiss. But this time, she didn't pull away. She was startled at first, but when he started to deepen the kiss, she went along with it, turning in his lap to face him completely.

Sesshomaru felt himself getting lost in Kagome's kisses, the way her hands felt running through his hair, the way her body seemed to mold against his… Sesshomaru put his hands on Kagome's hips and flipped her so he was on top, taking control of the kiss as he put his tongue in her mouth. He pulled away and started trailing kisses down her neck and sucking lightly on her collarbone, before he realized that he had tasted something strange when he kissed her.

Alcohol.

He sighed and lifted himself off of Kagome a bit, looking into her eyes. She was drunk. He wanted to kiss her again when she lazily opened her eyes and gave him a small, seductive smile, but he found that he couldn't. Not when she was drunk. He sighed and rolled off of her, lying down next to her on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Kagome?"

"Yea?" she said, somewhat huskily.

That tone of voice was going to make Sesshomaru regret what he was going to say, but he knew he had to say it anyway. "I think you should go."

"What? Why?" Kagome asked, sounding confused, and a bit hurt.

"We shouldn't be doing this…"

"Why not? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, but you're…"

"I'm dirty, right? You act like you're my friend, but in reality, you can't stand me because I'm dirty. Because I've been soiled by Naraku!" Kagome said, her volume steadily rising.

"You know that's not true at all."

"Isn't it, though? Would we even be _having _this discussion right now if it wasn't for what happened three years ago?"

"No, we wouldn't. Because if that hadn't happened, you _obviously_ wouldn't be lying in my bed right now, drunk out of your mind," Sesshomaru responded.

"I'm not drunk!" Kagome shouted angrily.

"Yes, you are."

Kagome was silent for a moment and her voice softened. "You're lying to me."

"I can't lie to you about your being drunk."

He saw Kagome shake her head from the corner of his eye. "That's not what I meant. You just don't think I'm attractive, and even if you did, I'm still…"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes in silent exasperation as he cut her off. "As a matter of fact, I happen to find you very attractive, and I don't consider you dirty," he responded. And when he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find Kagome on top of him again, straddling his hips as she leaned down and kissed him. He could still taste the alcohol on her lips, and vaguely wondered if it was possible to get drunk like this as he kissed her back, unconsciously rubbing his hands over her back as she started putting her hands under his shirt.

Kagome stopped kissing him for a moment and brought her lips to his ears, and whispering softly, "then prove it…"

Sesshomaru found himself flipping her over on her back again and looking heatedly into her eyes, marveling at the way her hair was spread over his pillow, in some places blending beautifully with his as it draped over both of their faces. "Are you sure you want this?" he asked seriously.

Kagome looked him in the eye before she put her hand behind his neck, pulling him down for another passionate kiss.

"More than anything," she said.

And that was all Sesshomaru needed.

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**A/N:** Ahhh… oh my gosh… can't believe I wrote that… please tell me if you enjoyed this chapter! I'm going to try _really_ hard to get the next chapter out before I leave, but that might be impossible, unless my brain decides to just work overtime… I actually got this chapter out _way_ sooner than I thought I would, but don't depend on my doing it again. If the next chapter isn't finished by like… Wednesday, I think, then I probably won't update until the end of the month, because I don't think I'll have access to a computer again until then.

Anyhow, please wish me luck… I'm going to need it, seeing as how my ankle isn't completely healed yet… I hurt it a week ago and I'm _still_ limping around like an idiot! Argghh…

Oh yeah! Uhhmm… **355 reviews** would make me one of the happiest people in the world!

You _do_ want a happy author…ess… type… person… don't you?


	22. Sex Kills Relationships

**A/N:** Okay, so here I am again, writing the next chapter… and let me just say… that even though classes haven't started, college is already giving me problems. Dammit. In any case, here's Chapter 22.

(One more note: to those of you I responded to via PM, please let me know if you got my message or not! I'm not sure if mine works.)

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When attempting to win the heart of any male, one general rule usually applies.

_Sex on the first date bad._

Kagome wasn't sure _who_ exactly made this rule, but she was pretty sure that sex _before an actual date_ was just as bad, if not worse.

When Kagome woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that she was back in her bed with a pounding headache. Then, she noticed just how naked she was underneath the sheets, and that was… well, totally.

She lied there for a moment, idly wondering why she was sleeping naked before it hit her… figuratively speaking, of course.

_I just slept with Sesshomaru._

Even though Kagome was exhausted and hung over, details from the previous night flooded her mind, and she slowly became overwhelmed with guilt.

_I can't believe I really did that. I mean I practically **jumped** the guy! What the hell was I thinking?_

Just as Kagome was preparing to drown in her own misery and guilt, she heard someone outside messing with the lock. She quickly made sure she was covered just as the door swung open, revealing a very tired looking Sango, who just happened to be wearing the same dress from the previous night.

Sango glanced at Kagome, who was staring at her in silent shock.

"Good morning, Kagome."

"Uh… good morning to you, too…" Kagome barely managed to respond.

Sango, who still hadn't moved from the doorway stared back at Kagome and said, "I'm dating Miroku."

"I slept with Sesshomaru," Kagome responded. She somehow felt the need to respond with something more substantial than "oh".

"If you'll excuse me, I need to get some rest," Sango said, and walked into her room.

Kagome flopped back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering why Sango hadn't reacted at all to her shocking (well, she thought it was, anyway) news, when she noticed a small, folded piece of paper on her bedside table. She reached over to pick it up when all of a sudden, the door dividing hers and Sango's rooms burst open.

"You did **_what_**?" Sango shouted, just as Kagome opened the note. "…Kagome…?"

_We need to talk._

_-S_

That letter could stand for thousands of things, but Kagome automatically knew what it meant.

"Kagome…" Sango called, and Kagome finally snapped her attention back to her friend.

"Uh… it was nothing, really," Kagome said.

"But you just told me…"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Kagome interrupted, and faked a smile.

Sango studied Kagome's features for a long moment before giving up. "Alright… I'll be in my room, then."

"Sure. Get some rest. I'm sure you need it," Kagome answered absently.

"Why? Is there another event tonight?"

Kagome didn't answer. Instead, she looked distractedly at the closed window curtains across the room.

"Kagome?" Sango called.

She jumped. "Huh? Did you ask me something?"

Sango looked extremely concerned. "I asked you if there was another event tonight… are you sure you're okay?"

"No, there's no event tonight, but there is one tomorrow… another engagement party or something," Kagome said unenthusiastically.

"Alright, but I also wanted to know if you're okay," Sango added.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… you just seem so out of it."

"Oh, that? It _is_ like five in the morning, Sango… I'm just tired, that's all," Kagome explained.

"Oh… are you sure?"

"Yes, Sango. I'm _fine_," Kagome stressed.

"Well, okay then… I guess I'll go get some rest," Sango said hesitantly and retreated to her room.

After a few hours of staring at the ceiling and trying to sleep, Kagome decided to get dressed and see what kind of breakfast they were serving in the lobby.

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Given that it was about 7:30 in the morning, the lobby was a bit crowded when Kagome arrived, so while there were multiple conversations all going on at the same time, Kagome more or less ignored them all, until she heard her name.

"I'm sorry sir, but there is nobody by the name of Kagome Higurashi checked into this hotel. Maybe you have the wrong address?" a cheerful-sounding young woman said from behind the check- in counter chirped.

But the dark-haired man she was trying to help didn't seem so happy. "No. Check it again. I know she's staying here," he demanded.

"But sir, I've already checked three…"

"Dammit, just do it!" he barked, slamming his hand angrily on the desk.

The woman behind the desk sighed and typed Kagome's name in the computer again, spelling her name aloud as she went along. "We have nobody by the name of Kagome Higurashi checked into this hotel. Perhaps you'd like to try another one?" the woman asked, desperately trying to hold her polite smile.

But the man was having none of it. He leaned forward, and in one swift movement, he had the front of the woman's shirt balled up in his fist. "You stop lying to me, this instant. It is _imperative_ that I speak to Kagome right _now_. I don't have time for your little 'privacy rule' game. You will contact her, and you will have her in front of me in forty-five seconds, or you will truly regret it," he hissed.

None of the other people hanging out in the lobby seemed to notice the potentially dangerous scene that was unfolding in front of them, but Kagome, who stood peeking around the corner, was thoroughly freaking out. As much as she felt that she should run out there and free the poor woman from the man's evil clutches, she was also too afraid to be seen by him. While Kagome's mind went back and forth between her options, the woman behind the desk proved to be very capable of holding her own, if not in a strangely peaceful way.

"Sir," she said with a calm smile. "I'm going to have to ask you to calm down before I am forced to pursue legal action against you."

The man took a long, angry look at the woman before letting her go. "You'd better not be fucking lying to me," he growled, then spun on his heel and stormed out of the double doors which led out to the front parking lot.

Kagome stood with her feet glued to the floor for a good two or three minutes before she realized that she wasn't moving.

_Wow… that was scary. This is the first time I've ever heard of Naraku following me like that…god I hope he doesn't find me._

By the time Kagome was able to move again, she realized that she had no appetite, so she hurried back to hers and Sango's room, ran into the bathroom, and proceeded to throw up.

After a long twenty minutes of emptying every form of food from her stomach into the toilet, Kagome realized that she probably had a little too much to drink last night; of course, the sudden added stress of finding out that Naraku was angrily searching for her probably didn't help much in the way of that.

Kagome flopped back onto her bed and fell asleep a while later, only waking up to the sounds of Sango shuffling around the room. She blinked her eyes a few times before she realized that it was already late afternoon and Sango was preparing to go out.

"Kagome, are you just going to sleep all day? You should get up and you can come hang out with Miroku and I," she suggested, flipping on a light switch and sitting on Kagome's bed. Kagome practically hissed at the light as she quickly buried her face into her pillow.

"I don't feel well," Kagome mumbled into her pillow. Kagome was pretty much lying. She knew that she felt good enough to get out of bed and go out on the town for a few hours, but she also knew that somewhere out there, Naraku was searching for her. And she didn't particularly want to be found, but she also didn't want to worry Sango, so she claimed to still feel ill from drinking, when she really didn't actually feel that bad.

And it worked like a charm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Have you eaten yet today? I'll order you room service, okay? I'll wait for them to deliver so I can open the door for you, okay? Don't bother getting up," Sango said, concerned.

Well, she wasn't exactly going for the sympathy angle, but whatever works… works, right?

"No, I'm fine. Go out and have fun. Really, I can answer a door on my own," Kagome said.

"Nonsense. Miroku can wait," Sango replied, then ordered Kagome some dinner and waited for the delivery with her. When a young man finally appeared at the door with food, Sango thanked him and sent him on his way before turning back to Kagome. "Are you sure you don't mind staying here alone?"

Despite what Sango said, Kagome was sure that Sango really didn't want to spend her free night cooped up in the hotel room with her. "Seriously, Sango. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I have everything I need here in this room, okay?"

"Alright, but call me if you need anything," Sango said, making her way toward the door.

"Sure. Go enjoy yourself," Kagome said as Sango closed the door behind her. As soon as Sango was gone, Kagome leapt up and made sure the door was locked behind her. Sure Naraku didn't know exactly where she was staying, but she figured she could never be too careful.

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Meanwhile, an _extremely_ out of character Sesshomaru was sitting in his room, staring at the wall opposing him, silently begging for answers. When he failed to will the words to magically appear and give him some advice, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his last resort: the cell phone.

As much as Sesshomaru hated asking for any kind of help, he was also man enough to know that when a man had troubles with a woman, the only way to really figure things out… is to ask another woman.

So Sesshomaru swallowed a substantial amount of pride as he hit the "call" button and waited for the woman on the other end to answer. Hopefully, she would be of some use.

"_What?_" the feminine voice on the other end hissed.

Hopefully, she would talk to him.

Sesshomaru got straight to the point. "If a friend of yours, a male friend, took advantage of you while you were drunk, would you be upset?" he asked.

"What the _fuck_? Of course I would. Now what's this all about?" the woman asked, clearly caught off guard.

"Would you ever forgive him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I asked a question," Sesshomaru said impatiently.

"So did I," the woman countered.

"As much as I'm sure you would like to think, this does not involve or concern you," Sesshomaru responded.

"I don't know. It depends."

Sesshomaru paused. "What?"

The woman sighed. "I was answering your question, Sesshomaru. Now will you please tell me what's going on?"

"No. What would you want him to do?" he asked.

"I don't know… apologize? Admit he was wrong? I have no idea. I've never been in that kind of situation before."

Sesshomaru sighed in frustration. "You're as useless as ever, Kagura."

"You're the one who's being vague!" Kagura shouted. There was a short pause on the line. "You've got a new girl, don't you? And you've already fucked up your relationship. Typical. Fucking typical. This is why things never worked out between us. You have no concept of feelings or the fact that some people might actually have them!"

Kagura knew she was getting worked up too easily, but this was four years of pent up frustration. Because four years ago, Sesshomaru had broken her heart, and then disappeared without so much as a phone call. And now he had the nerve to call and insult her? She couldn't take it.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Kagura paused. "You're right. I don't. Maybe if you had actually spoken to me while we were dating, or maybe if you had returned my calls _once_ in these last four years, I would understand you a bit better. Why would you call me now anyway?"

"Because I needed to ask you that question. Now that I have an answer, I apologize for disturbing you about my _brother's_ problems," Sesshomaru responded. He didn't know _why_ exactly he felt the need to lie, but he just knew that he didn't feel the need to tell the truth, either. So he didn't.

"Is that all?" Kagura asked.

"Yes."

"I see. You haven't changed, Sesshomaru."

"I suppose I haven't. Good bye, Kagura."

Kagura hung up and thought aloud to herself. "I lied. He has changed. He's become so transparent. I'm glad that he's finally found someone he cares about. Whoever she is, she must be very special. And lucky, too. She managed to get out of him exactly what I always wanted… I hate her."

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Hours later, Kagome was startled out of her trance-like state while watching re-runs of an old television show when she was suddenly interrupted by a sharp, abrupt knock at her hotel room door. As Kagome walked to the door, she glanced at the clock and figured it was too early for Sango to be returning from her date with Miroku, so she slowly and quietly made her way across the floor.

When she reached the door and glanced through the peephole, she was _extremely_ surprised to see Sesshomaru standing there. She gasped and then, in a panic, threw her hands over her mouth, silently praying that Sesshomaru had not seen her. She turned her back and leaned against the door before sitting down. She knew that she and Sesshomaru had a lot to talk about, but she wasn't sure she was ready yet, so she thought it would be best to temporarily avoid him.

However, her plan didn't work out, as Sesshomaru had heard her through the door. "Kagome?" he called, but when she didn't respond, he decided to speak anyway, in hopes that she would be willing to listen. "I know you're in there…I need to speak with you, so open the door."

But Kagome didn't budge. _Omigod… what do I do? I'm not ready to talk to him yet. Go away!_ She shouted in her mind. When she didn't hear his voice for a long moment, Kagome thought he actually did leave, until she felt him lean against the door as well, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Listen, Kagome. About the other night…I've been thinking…" he began.

_Kagome's heart began to pound in her chest._

"Well, even before then…"

_Harder_.

"You see I've…"

_Kagome's heart began pumping so loud she was afraid Sesshomaru would hear her._

"Been thinking a lot…"

_And?_

"And especially since last night…"

_…_

"I've realized something…"

_…_

"About you and I…"

_Here it comes_…

"And I feel that…"

_Does he feel the same…?_

"I should be ashamed…"

_**Whoa! **For what?_

"To have treated you in such an abrasive manner…"

**_What?_**

"And I have come here tonight to tell you that you deserve more respect than that…"

_Kagome couldn't breathe. _

"And that it will never…"

_**No! **This was **not** how she'd pictured this conversation going in her head._

"Happen again. Goodnight, Kagome."

Kagome hesitated for a short moment before jumping up to unlock the door. "Sesshomaru, wait! You've got it all wrong! It's alright! Because, you see," Kagome threw the door open, only to find that he was already gone.

"You see," she said again as she dropped to her knees, tears blurring her vision.

"_I love you._"

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Damn that whole miscommunication thing.

Oh… and sorry I took so long to update this time! I've been really busy, and I was having trouble getting this chapter out. But now that it's finished, I have really mixed feelings about it. There are a few parts that I really like, and a few parts that I really hate. But I'm not going to go back and fix the parts I don't like, because then that would require me to fix all the parts I _do_ like! And that would suck.

Anyway, I'd like _lots_ of reviews to help encourage me to write Chapter 23 faster! It has another interesting (I hope it is, anyway) twist, so please, stick with me until the very end! I really am trying to write these chapters both quickly and well. I think I want the end of this story to come as much as (if not more than) all of you, so please!

**385-390** Reviews would make me happy.

Although **400** would make me ecstatic.

Until next time!


	23. Auditory Hallucinations

**Author's Note:** Sorry I took so long to update this. I had this creative writing class, and, well… there was a lot of writing, so… very little time for this story. Sorry!

But, here goes!

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In this world, there are two categories in which voices can be put into:

Those we _can_ hear.

And those we _cannot_.

Now, these categories can be subdivided into smaller categories.

Those we _can _hear are either _real_, or _not real_.

Those we _cannot_… well… who cares, right?

But those we _can_ hear… that's when it becomes interesting. How do you distinguish them between _real_ and _not real_? If it's something that's real to _you_, does it really matter whether anyone else hears it or not?

Of course, if you're the only one who hears the voices, that makes you crazy right?

After all, "hearing voices" means you're having an _auditory hallucination_. And _hallucinations_ are for _crazy_ people, right?

Sesshomaru was _not _crazy. He did _not_ hear voices. Not _now_, and not _ever._

So when he heard Kagome's soft voice speaking those three forbidden words, he refused to acknowledge the fact that it might not have been real. That it might have been an "auditory hallucination". He just pretended he didn't hear it, and refused to turn around and see if she really was there, standing in her doorway proclaiming her love for him. Because to him, that voice didn't exist. He wouldn't believe it, so he kept walking until she was out of his sight.

And with their situation at least somewhat resolved, Sesshomaru felt that he was at last entitled to some sleep after a long, sleepless night.

Kagome, on the other hand, who had had more than enough sleep, courtesy of too much alcohol the night before, found herself exhausted again. In those short minutes, she found herself to be emotionally drained after the incident in her doorway.

She sat on her folded knees beneath her and put her hands on the ground beneath her, staring at it, but not really seeing it.

_I said it._

_He heard me._

_He had to have._

_There's no way that he didn't._

_And… he ignored me…_

…_shit._

_What now?_

Kagome hadn't even realized that she'd been crying until she felt teardrops rolling down her cheeks and falling onto her hands.

She wanted to get up and chase Sesshomaru, to grab him and not let him go until he promised to never leave her, but something kept her rooted where she sat. If he really did hear her, then the last thing he probably wanted was for her to bother him.

But if he hadn't heard her… this could be her last chance, right now… she started to get up, when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. Naraku… and by the way he was slinking around, Kagome figured he was probably looking for her. She practically dove into her room, shutting the door behind her as she stared through the peephole, waiting for Naraku to come break the door down and hurt her. But that never happened. He just walked by, not even taking a second glance at her door.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, it was a sigh of frustration. She realized that since Naraku was wandering around, she was basically stuck in her room if she wanted to stay safe. Which, in case you're wondering… she did.

After what just happened, Kagome didn't know how she should handle the situation. She couldn't chase after him and offer an explanation. There was no one she could talk to, so she did the only thing she could. She threw herself face down into her pillow, and she cried until she fell asleep.

_Why me…?_

The next morning around 10:00, Kagome woke up with a (still) pounding headache and a vague memory of Sango tiptoeing inside around 2:30 in the morning. Sango, of course, was still asleep in her room, and Kagome decided she would wait for a little while before waking her so they could go downstairs and eat together, since Kagome had decided that she really shouldn't wander around alone anymore.

Kagome turned on the television and watched the morning news until Sango came out of her room, looking absolutely exhausted around 11:30. The two ate, then went back up to their room and hung out and talked for a while before they started to get ready for the last party before their vacation ended.

Kagome was in the middle of doing her makeup when the phone rang, slightly startling her. She hesitated before answering, but when she picked it up, it turned out to be her mother.

"Kagome, it's been a while since we've talked. How is everything going?" she asked.

"It's okay, I guess. We've just been going to a bunch of formal parties. Nothing really exciting, I guess. Actually, Sango and I are getting ready for some engagement party tonight. It's probably going to be as lame as the last one, so I might end up leaving early again," Kagome responded.

Her mother paused for a moment before answering. "Why would you do that?"

"Why wouldn't I? These parties suck. I really don't know why dad insisted that I came. Nothing special has happened besides…"

"Did you meet Kikyo? And your aunt Kyoko? How are they?" her mother interrupted.

Kagome hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I did… they're nice, I guess."

"That's good to hear. Maybe we can all get together some day. Wouldn't that be nice?" Kagome's mother rambled.

"Uh… sure. I guess. But anyway, I kind of have to go, because Sango's been waiting for me…"

"Oh… right… do you know who the engagement party is for?" her mother asked.

Kagome sighed internally. It was so hard to get her mother off of the phone. "Actually, I have no idea."

"I see… well, please try to stay until the end… it's kind of rude to leave an engagement party early, even if you're not enjoying yourself… and try to just do what your father asks, even if it seems unreasonable, because I promise you that it's not. He really does care about us, whether you believe it or not. He really wants you to feel like you're a part of this whole family and…"

"Okay mom, I hear you. Don't leave early, and try to be nice to dad. I understand you, but I really do have to go, okay?" Kagome interrupted.

"Alright… try to have fun, dear," her mother said before the two exchanged good-byes and hung up.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Kagome sighed and looked through the peephole before opening it to reveal a man who worked at the hotel, holding a package.

"Hello, are you Miss Kagome Higurashi?" he asked cordially.

"Yes, I am…" Kagome responded carefully.

"I have been asked to deliver this to you from a Mr. Rei Watase. Can you sign here, please?" he asked, holding out a form attached to a clipboard and pen.

"Sure," she said, and signed the paper quickly, thanked the man, and re-entered her room, closing the door behind her before opening the package.

Just as she was emptying the contents of the box, Sango walked in, completely dressed and ready to go. "What's all that? Whoa! Holy crap! Where did you get that stuff from?" she asked when Kagome pulled out a long, elegant- looking emerald dress with gold trimmings with matching gold shoes, earrings, and a necklace.

"My dad sent it to me… Sorry… I don't think there's anything in here for you, though… but there is a note…" Kagome said, pulling out a small piece of paper and reading over it silently.

"So… what does it say?"

"Basically, he wants me to wear all this and he wants me to come early so he can talk to me about something very important," Kagome paused, and looked at the clock. "Except that we're already like… twenty minutes late. Can't people deliver things on time?" she said, somewhat frustrated. "I don't even want to wear this… I already have a dress."

"Then don't," Sango shrugged.

Kagome thought for a second about what her mother said, and then decided that she could get re-dressed fairly quickly, as long as she didn't mess up her hair or makeup in the process. After about 15 minutes, the two were finally ready to go and hurried down to the "Green Room" again, only to be greeted at the door by Kagome's father, who was, at the time, looking extremely stressed out.

"Kagome! You're finally here… and you're very late…well, your sister is inside somewhere, so please take this, and hold onto it. Do _not_ put it down anywhere," her father said hurriedly, and shoved a small velvet box into her hands and walked away.

"Wait… what's going on?" Kagome asked her father, the tiny box in her palm momentarily forgotten.

"I wish I had time to explain, but I really don't at this point. Please just go inside," he said, ushering her in before disappearing into the crowded room.

Sango gazed at the box in Kagome's hand for a moment before urging her to open it.

Kagome looked at Sango, seemingly startled, like she'd forgotten that they had come in together just moments before. "Uh… yeah… sure." Kagome slowly opened the box and two peered inside to see an engagement ring resting in the middle of the tiny pillow.

"Oh… my… god…" Sango whispered. "That is so beautiful… who you think it's for?" she asked.

Kagome picked up the ring when she noticed that the inside was engraved, written in tiny letters to a "K Higurashi".

"Wow… I think Kikyo's getting married," Kagome whispered.

"To Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Whoa…" Sango said, staring off into nowhere.

"I know…" Kagome responded, looking around the room until she saw Kikyo walking across the room. "I'll be right back, okay?" she said, chasing after her half- sister.

Kagome was calling her sister's name, trying to get her attention when someone she'd never even seen before stepped in front of her and started talking. "I just wanted to say congratulations on your engagement, Miss Higurashi. Oh, but you'll be Mrs. Taisho soon! I'm so happy for you. You know, for a while, I thought that Taisho boy would never get married. How did you two meet, anyway?" the woman asked, speaking so quickly that Kagome could barely even keep up.

Kagome paused for a minute, trying to figure out what this woman was talking about. Then, she realized that she must have been mistaking her for Kikyo. She didn't really feel the need to explain the truth, so she just smiled and lied. "Oh, well, you know… it was just one of those chance encounters, and after that, we just fell in love. But if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to find her."

"Alright dear. Well, congratulations again, and good luck to the both of you."

Kagome bowed politely and thanked the woman before hurrying off to find Kikyo again. By the time she finally found her and shoved the box with the ring inside in her hand, her father was calling her name again, making his was through the crowd toward her.

"Kagome, are you ready?" he asked hurriedly.

"Huh? For what? I don't even know what's going on…"

"What do you mean for what? They're announcing the engagement soon! You have to be ready… you'll need to make a short speech and everything."

"Speech?" Kagome squeaked.

"If you would have been around to talk when I needed you to be…"

"Don't even start that shit with me, Rei," Kagome growled.

"Kagome," he said sternly. "Now is not the time," he sighed. "Well, hand it over at least."

"Hand what over?" Kagome asked.

"The _ring_! Give me the ring."

"I don't have the ring."

"**_What?_** Where is it?" he demanded, visibly starting to panic.

"I gave it to Kikyo."

"Why would you do that?"

"I thought you wanted me to…" Kagome trailed off.

Her father sighed again. "Well, hopefully she'll have the sense to give it to Sesshomaru," he said, rubbing his temples.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, growing more and more confused by the second.

"Damn it! I never got the chance to introduce you to Sesshomaru that night!"

Kagome was starting to feel positively ill. The last people Kagome had been introduced out turned out to be…_ family_… "Who is… Sesshomaru?" she asked. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know the answer, but her imagination was certainly about to cause her to vomit… he would probably turn out to be her long-lost cousin or something… _oh god_…

"Kagome, I am so sorry."

"For what? What's going on?" Kagome asked, feeling the desperation starting to creep into her voice.

"Sesshomaru is your fiancé."

Kagome froze. She wasn't breathing. She wasn't blinking. She was sure her heart had stopped beating, too.

"He's what?"

"Your fiancé. You're getting married to him."

"Since when?"

"Since you were born… well, sort of. In the beginning, you were arranged to marry his younger brother, but he and your sister ended up falling for each other, and we didn't think it would be fair to break that apart," her father explained.

"But it's fair to force me to…" Kagome started.

"Kagome, please don't start this…" he father interrupted.

"So like… I have to marry him? _Why_?" Kagome asked, trying not to shout. She could feel her eyes starting to fill up with tears.

"I don't have time to explain to you now, but I think you should at least meet him before we make the announcement. Don't worry. He's a very intelligent and attractive young man," he said, taking Kagome by the wrist and leading her to the other side of the room.

Kagome let him lead her around, as she was too shocked and confused to resist. They stopped next to a raised platform that obviously doubled as a small stage. Kagome wanted to say something… anything… but she had no idea what to do.

"Are you ready?" he asked her again. "We need to make the announcement now."

Kagome just stared at him, not knowing how to respond. After talking with her mother, she wanted to do what he asked her, but this just seemed insane… but her mother must have known about this beforehand, otherwise she wouldn't have said all that she had on the phone…

"Kagome? Are you ready?" he asked again. "Kagome?"

"No," Kagome whispered.

"Excuse me?" her father asked.

"No. I won't do this. I can't marry him. I don't love Sesshomaru, and I never will!" she said, steadily raising her voice. "Do you understand me? I won't do this."

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but you really don't have a choice."

Kagome then realized that her father wasn't looking at her anymore, but directly over her shoulder at somebody. She turned to see who it was, and was immediately ashamed and embarrassed to see Sesshomaru standing there. He'd obviously heard her little outburst from only moments before, but he was acting like there was really nothing wrong.

"Mr. Watase," he said in greeting, bowed slightly, then turned to Kagome. "Higurashi."

"Kagome," she said, immediately correcting him. She figured there was no point in acting formal at this point. The two stood there in silence, just looking at each other until they heard Kagome's father's voice coming through the microphone on stage only a few feet away. He spoke for a few minutes about his business, and then about the Taisho business before pausing to look at his daughter off stage.

"…And without further ado, I'd like to introduce my daughter, Kagome, and her fiancé, Sesshomaru." As he was walking off stage, he hugged Kagome tightly. "Just don't make this difficult. You have to do this. Just tell them that the two of you are in love and we'll sort out the details later," he whispered in her ear, then handed her the microphone.

Kagome took a deep breath before speaking. _I don't know why I'm doing this, but…_ "Hello, everyone, and thank you for coming. I… I mean, Sesshomaru and I… um… we're here to … uh… we're here…"

With one hand, Sesshomaru took Kagome's hand in his, and with the other, he took the microphone from her and started to speak. "When Kagome and I met two years ago, we fell in love. We had our problems, but we've never been more in love, so we're here to announce our engagement. We ask for your well-wishes, and your blessing. Thank you." Sesshomaru pulled Kagome off stage and the two kept walking toward the exit when Kagome stopped walking, forcing Sesshomaru to stop as well.

"Stop," she said.

Sesshomaru just turned and looked at her without saying anything.

"We're not in love, and you know it. I don't want to marry you any more than you want to marry me, so stop acting like a 'loving husband' all of a sudden and let me go," she said, snatching her hand from his grasp. "Thank you," she said before storming off alone.

"Right. I forgot," Sesshomaru muttered to himself before sighing and running his hands through his hair. "Shit. I messed up."

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**Author's Note**: Damn. I can't wait until this story is over. It's starting to really frustrate me.


	24. It's Not Even Morning

Author's Note: Firstly, I would like to apologize for how long it took me to update this story. Secondly, I'd like to thank you all for continuing to send me reviews of encouragement, otherwise I really would have just given up on this story. Anyway, here goes!

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Kagome woke up on a fine June morning with a feeling of euphoria- the same one that always seemed to last until she noticed the small navy blue velvet box sitting on her dresser that held her engagement ring. That same stupid piece of metal that promised her a life time of unhappiness and discomfort while being married to Sesshomaru. So, upon seeing the box, she did the same thing she did every other morning: she opened the box, peered at the piece of jewelry, contemplated wearing it, then sighed and snapped the box shut again, leaving the ring in the same spot it had been for the past six weeks.

After Kagome finished getting dressed, she went to the kitchen where her mother, grandfather, and brother were just getting ready to eat. Kagome could feel her mother eyeing her left hand, but Kagome knew her mother wouldn't say anything. Surely her mother wanted to avoid another fight with her about the engagement.

"Just be happy I'm going through with this crap!" Kagome had shouted at her after her mother asked her several times a day, every day why she wasn't wearing her ring. After that, her mother just stopped asking, but that didn't mean that she couldn't continue to make Kagome feel guilty by giving her "the look".

After Kagome finished eating, she went straight to school and met up with her friends before class. Each day had become increasingly more awkward since they had all returned to school after spring break, mostly because of Kagome's recent engagement. Every day, Kagome found it more difficult to pretend that she actually wanted to marry Sesshomaru. Sure, she liked him, but she knew she couldn't be happy with a man who didn't reciprocate her feelings at all. In fact, she'd barely exchanged any words with him since it happened. She knew she needed to discuss the date with him, which she decided on her own, without even bothering to consult him, would be _after_ she graduated from college. Secretly, she knew she was kind of hoping that if she pushed the wedding back far enough, everyone might just forget about the engagement.

"...And so I was thinking... Let's all go hang out at my house after school. You know, we could hang out and stuff like we used to in the good old days!" Miroku was saying.

"Good old days?" Sango asked.

"Your house? You're moving out?" Inuyasha asked, sounding excited.

"Moving out? Of course not! Mi casa es su casa, amigo!" Miroku laughted heartily and slapped Inuyasha on the back.

"No, you idiot, mi casa es _mi_ casa. I'm just letting you stay there. And don't think that means you can just be invitin people over whenever you feel like it. That's rude!" Inuyasha retorted.

"Well I think it's even more rude to _uninvite_ people once they've received a friendly invitation," Miroku smiled, then looked from Kagome and Sango, who just blinked at Miroku, then back to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sighed and folded his arms. "Whatever. You guys can come over if you want."

"That's the spirit!" Miroku shouted, slapping Inuyasha on the back again.

"You better stop hitting me if you wanna keep that arm!" Inuyasha growled just as the bell rang and the four went to their separate classes.

Kagome was a little hesitant, concerned about the fact that Sesshomaru would probably be there, even though she'd lucked out the last couple of times they had gathered over there, as he was still in college himself. After classes let out, the four friends went straight to Inuyasha's place, ordered a pizza, and just sat around and chatted. Naturally, the subject of graduation came up, as it was in only two weeks that they would be leaving high school behind forever.

"Well, it's official. Sango and I have decided to apply to NYU together," Miroku exclaimed, throwing his arm over Sango's shoulder.

"New York University? In America?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "You're kidding..."

"We're not applying together. Miroku is following me," Sango said playfully. "What are your plans, Inuyasha?"

"I can't believe I never told you guys but, um, well, I guess I'm going to New York too. My dad wants me to go to New York with Kikyo to go to school and train under Sesshomaru before we go take over another branch of his company somewhere else in America," he replied, obviously unhappy about having to spend extra time with his brother.

The room got a little quiet as the three of them glanced at Kagome, who seemed to be paying no real attention to the conversation until she realized everyone was looking at her. "Huh? Did I miss something?"

"We were talking about what we're all gonna do when we graduate. Are you..." Sango trailed off.

"Oh, Remember I told you I was applying to Tokyo University? I really hope I get in, seeing as how it's the only place I applied," she laughed.

"What about Sesshomaru?" Sango asked.

Kagome's mood instantly changed. "What about him?" she asked flatly.

"You're marrying him soon. What about the wedding?"

"No one said I had to marry him."

"Kagome, he's your fiance."

"Not by choice," she shot back.

Sango glanced at Miroku and Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye.

"Is that the doorbell?" Miroku interrupted, standing abruptly.

"No, it's not-" Inuyasha started.

"Yes, I do believe it is. It's for both of us." Miroku grabbed roughly onto Inuyasha's arm.

"What are you talking about? Let me go, you-" Inuyasha's voice trailed off as he was dragged from the room.

Sango waited until Inuyasha and Miroku were out of sight before she spoke again. "Have you two set a date yet?" Kagome was silent. "Have you even spoken to him since the engagement?" No response. "Have you?"

Kagome shook her head no.

"Are you serious?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Your fiance is moving to the United States in a few months and you didn't even know. On top of that, you don't even intend to go with him?"

"Why should I?" Kagome interjected, starting to get irritated with Sango's tone.

"Because he's your fiance. Because you know damn well you're going to get married and because _you love him_!"

"No, I don't. I have my own life, and my own plans for my future that doesn't involve-"

"Kagome-" Sango interrupted.

"No. My own plans that don't involve him. I'm only going through with this because my mother made me. I might even try to cancel it because-"

"Kagome, I think you should-"

"Because I _obviously _don't love him and I _obviously _can barely stand him! He's so annoying and self-centered! _I ha_-"

"KAGOME!"

"What? Sango, what?" Kagome shouted, exasperated, before noticing that Sango was looking directly over her shoulder with a terrified expression slowly crossing her face.

Kagome slowly turned to see none other than Sesshomaru, leaning against the wall with a glass of water in his hand, staring expressionlessly at Kagome.

"Your cell phone's ringing," he said stoically.

"Sesshomaru, I-"

"It's in the kitchen," he interrupted, spun on his heel and walked away. Kagome could hear his twenty-three footsteps to his bedroom door, then heard it close with a bit more force than usual.

She didn't realize how long she'd been standing there until Sango was calling her name, and pushing her new compact samsung flip phone into her hand, which was ringing at an obnoxiously loud volume. She flipped it open and said hello to her mother.

"Kagome, I've been trying to get ahold of you for an hour. Where are you? Is everything alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine. I'm at Inuyasha's place. My phone was in the other room."

"Oh, you are?" Kagome's mother sounded elated. "Is Sesshomaru there? Say hello to him- actually, can you put him on the phone please?"

Kagome was silent.

"Hello? Kagome?"

"Yea?"

"Is Sesshomaru with you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I uh... well I..."

"Are you not getting along with him, Kagome? What's going on?"

"I mean I-"

"Kagome, you really need to be more mature about this. This isn't something we can afford you to be stubborn about. There are a lot of things you don't really understand and you really should take the time and consideration to-"

"Mom, I gotta go," Kagome interrupted before she hung up abruptly on her.

Sango just looked at Kagome, confused by her actions. "Kagome..."

But her words fell on deaf ears as Kagome ran from the living, down the hall, into the bathroom, and proceeded to throw up. Sango, who was directly behind her, was probably about as confused as Kagome was nauseous. "Kagome are you ok? Are you sick?"

"Of course. With morning sickness," Miroku joked.

Inuyasha choked, and Kagome gagged at the thought, and threw up again while Sango popped him in the back of the head and drew in a deep breath to yell at him when Kagome flushed the toilet and stood up, facing the both of them. "That's not even funny Miroku. I'm not pregnant," she said plainly.

Miroku, of course, was still smiling. "Then what's wrong with you?"

Kagome shrugged. "I feel fine now. I just need some water or something."

"Or something..." Miroku echoed.

"Shut up Miroku.," Sango chimed in. "It's probably just a stomach flu. Besides. Does it look like morning to you?"

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Author's Note: Oh my goodness it's been quite a while, hasn't it? Haha... I guess if I don't get enough reviews, then I'll probably just let this story die again, for good. I really hope I haven't lost all of my readers during my (extra long) absence. Please, review! Let me know you're still alive and you still care what happens!


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